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Mike O'Neill turns his attention to the Formula One Grand Prix. By the way, if you are coming to Valencia for Formula One, most of the Hotels are already full all over the city but there are b+bs and flats to be had, contact us now - whatever you need, we can probably help! We also have access to some stand ticketsfi@thisisvalencia.com This will be the place to find out all the news as we get it. 07 September Starting from pole position, Hamilton got away smoothly in the 13th race of the season but, following a spin near the end of the first lap, soon found fourth placed Raikkonen all over him. The Fin was clearly hungry to show why he is the current world champion and got past the British driver with a daring move. Heikki Kovaleinen, who started second, should have been covering for Hamilton but a crunch at the first corner pushed him down the field and he never really recovered. Raikkonen led for most of the race, followed by Hamilton and Felipe Massa. The skies, which had looked threatening all day, started dropping a light drizzle six laps from the finish. Hamilton saw his chance and closed on Raikkonen. With two laps to go, the shower became a downpour and Hamilton made his move at the final chicane. Both drivers were still on hard tyres and Raikkonen went wide, leaving Hamilton with nowhere to go except to cut the chicane. Coming out ahead of the Ferrari and realizing he could get a penalty, Hamilton allowed Raikkonen through and continued the chase, taking the lead once more at the hairpin. When back-marker Nico Rosberg spun and blocked the track with a lap and a half to go, Raikkonen seized the lead once more, only to spin off into the tyre wall, leaving Hamilton to cruise carefully to take the chequered flag. Hamilton shared the podium with Felipe Massa and Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber), whose courageous decision to go in for wet weather tyres just two laps from the finish pulled him from seventh to third. Two hours later came the news that Hamilton had been penalized 25 seconds (equivalent to a drive-through penalty) by the stewards, relegating him to third in the race and handing Massa his fifth win this year and boosting Heidfeld into second. In all the drama, it should be remembered that there was some great driving further down the field. Sebastian Bourdais (Toro Rosso) looked good for his first podium finish until the rain arrived. But the decision to stay out on hard tyres proved wrong as first Heidfeld, then team-mate Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica went by. Bourdais later confessed: “it was a very frustrating way to finish what was a great weekend up to that point.” Still, he managed to double his points for the year and maybe this taste of success will bring him better results in the races still to come. Fernando Alonso showed what it takes to be a two-times world champion by surrendering his fourth place to go and get wet tyres with less than two laps remaining. He re-entered in eighth place and drove furiously to regain fourth after Raikkonen’s crash. Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso) is another driver whose decision to stay out on dry tyres could have cost him dearly. But still he managed to finish in the points for the fifth time in the seven races he has completed this year. The now more reliable Toro Rosso should take Vettel further up the points table in the remaining five. All in all a very satisfying race, in spite of the controversial decision over Hamilton. The top eight finishers were: After 13 races, the leader board looks like this: Drivers: Teams: The next race (the 14th) is at Monza next Sunday. Could this be where Massa makes the move to re-establish himself at the top of the table? With just 2 points between them, it should be very exciting, especially in front of Ferrari's home crowd. Footnote: The internet is buzzing with the cries of outraged fans who believe Hamilton and Team McLaren were ‘robbed’ of a just victory. They make the point that Ferrari extended their contract with Formula 1 Management until 2012 in return for a greater say in the way the rules are drawn up. It is fair to say that the stewards do seem to have penalised Hamilton rather harshly in the circumstances but no doubt all will come out in the impending appeal hearing called for by McLaren. Valencia 24 August Lewis Hamilton held onto his second position despite suffering from flu-like symptoms and neck spasms before the race. Robert Kubica started from third and, after an incident with a plastic bag which lodged under his car during an early lap, added another good result to his scorecard this season. Current champion Kimi Raikkonen had an awful day. Starting fourth on the grid, he was quickly passed by Heikki Kovaleinen, still buoyant from his win in Hungary. Raikkonen fought back but, during his second pit stop, pulled away before the fuel hose had been removed and knocked over one of the pit crew. While the crew member was being treated for injured ribs and a damaged foot, Raikkonen’s engine blew up in a cloud of smoke, putting the Finn out of the race. Renault driver Fernando Alonso had another bad day when Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) ran into the back of him on lap one, damaging the rear foil and forcing the Spaniard to retire. Despite early predictions that this would be a good track for overtaking, there was no real evidence of this. The pace was such that few drivers were tempted into passing manoeuvres after the first lap. The day clearly belonged to Felipe Massa as the Brazilian celebrated his 100th grand prix race with a convincing win, spoilt only by a 10,000 Euro penalty for the Ferrari Team when they released Massa alongside Adrian Sutil’s Force India after his second pit stop. The top eight finishers were: After 12 races, the leader board looks like this: Drivers: Teams: ps Is it me, or did the Ferrari crew ignore Raikkonen when he returned to the pits after his engine blew? I hope the fuel guy recovers soon. Hungarian Grand Prix Anyone who thought Lewis Hamilton had the Formula 1 world championship sewn up should have seen the way Felipe Massa surged through from third on the grid to take the lead on the first corner this afternoon. The Ferrari ‘Tifosi’ went wild as Massa re-affirmed their faith in the prancing horse emblem. Masa stayed very much in control of the race, with Hamilton seeming to lack the pace to mount a serious challenge. When the British driver pitted after 41 laps with a puncture, the Brazilian must have felt pretty confident. Meanwhile, Heikki Kovalainen drove a mature race and, towards the end, began reeling in the Ferrari. Massa’s engine surprisingly blew up on lap 68, just two laps from home, giving two novice drivers the best results of their careers. Timo Glock, who had performed so well in qualifying, brought his Toyota home in second place ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. Masa later said ‘racing can be a cruel sport. We had given it our all, but these things can happen’. Today’s results move McLaren ever closer to Ferrari’s grip on the constructor’s prize. Since the British Grand Prix, McLaren have whittled Ferrari’s 33 points lead down to just 11 points. Renault have moved up to 5th overall, thanks to superb driving by Fernando Alonso and Nelsinho Piquet, who between them today contributed one third of Renault’s total points this season. Alonso later said: "We fought hard today and we were on the pace with a car that was working well, which is encouraging for the rest of the championship” The top six finishers were: 1 Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren) After 11 races, the leader board looks like this: Drivers: Teams: The next (and 12th) race of the season comes from Valencia on 24th August. Tickets are currently at a huge premium but anyone looking for accommodation should contact Tim at thisisvalencia.com and he will do his best to find last-minute deals. German Grand Prix - Hockenheim The rain held off today at Hockenheim and, with a moderate 22ºC temperature and a light breeze, conditions were perfect for what turned out to be a defining race in this year’s championship. Lewis Hamilton cast aside doubts following his erratic early season behaviour to turn in a flawless performance. A brilliant drive from Nelsinho Piquet gave Renault their best result so far this season. Choosing to go for a one-stop strategy when most were going for two, Piquet (23 next Friday) was favoured by the serious crash of Timo Glock half way through the race. The safety car was brought out just after the Brazilian had re-fuelled and, as his rivals peeled off to pit, Piquet found his way through to the front of the field. Hamilton, whose lead had been cut to zero, had his work cut out to gain back enough time to refuel. He re-joined the race in fifth place with 17 laps to go, knowing that Heidfeld still had to pit. After a brief tussle with team-mate Kovaleinen, Hamilton set out after Massa and, following a tense battle, took the Ferrari driver on lap 57. Now only Piquet stood between Hamilton and the finish. The two drivers, competitors since their karting days, were soon locked together. But the Renault was no match for the McLaren and Hamilton stormed through to take the chequered flag for the fourth time in ten races. Felipe Massa was third for Ferrari and Nick Heidfeld drove superbly from a lowly twelfth on the grid to finish fourth. Heikki Kovalainen took fifth place, ahead of current World Champion Kimi Raikkonen. Timo Glock was later reported to be ‘shaken but unhurt’ following a precautionary hospital check-up. Earlier in this article, I called this a ‘defining race’. This time last year, Lewis Hamilton had scored two firsts and was still gaining confidence. This year, after a brilliant start, Hamilton seemed to lose the plot for a while. Despite a superb win at Monaco, the humiliations of Montreal and Magny Cours caused many to question his judgement under pressure. But these last two races have shown that, come rain or shine, Lewis Hamilton has what it takes to be a champion. There are several driver/car combinations out there which could upset his hopes but I believe these last two races have shown a new depth of maturity to add to Hamilton’s clear mastery of driving skills. The top six finishers were: After 10 races, the leader board looks like this: Drivers: Teams: The next race, the Hungarian Grand Prix, takes place at the Hungaroring, Budapest in two weeks (Sunday 3 August).
The German Grand Prix returns to Hockenheim after a year’s absence while the circuit was being up-graded. Conditions during qualifying threatened a repeat of Silverstone but, apart from an early cloudburst, the track allowed some fast times. Fastest of all was Lewis Hamilton, who beat Felipe Massa to pole with a stunning lap, backed up by team mate Heikki Kovaleinen in third. Jarno Trulli, who celebrated his 34th birthday last Sunday, put his Toyota into fourth, ahead of Fernando Alonso. Kimi Raikkonen, who shares overall lead of the championship with Hamilton and Massa, starts in sixth place. The forecast is for more rain tomorrow and it will be interesting to see if Felipe Massa can prove to his critics that he has not forgotten his wet weather skills. The grid line-up: Top six after 9 races: British Grand Prix Sunday 6 July 2008 4pm Sunday Well, if there were any doubts remaining about Lewis Hamilton’s abilities, they were put to rest this afternoon immediately the lights went out for the start. Hamilton stormed past Raikkonen and Webber, immediately challenging his team-mate Heikki Kovaleinen for the lead. The young Finn fought back and held Hamilton off until lap 5. Raikkonen challenged strongly for a while after Webber spun at Becketts but, after pitting together, Hamilton pulled away first and was never seriously challenged after that, finishing nearly 70 seconds ahead of Heifeld. Nick Heidfeld drove consistently well in the wet and changeable conditions to finish 2nd. If he ever wins a race, Nick will hold the record for the most grand prix starts without a win. He has had six 2nd places from 142 starts but three of these have been this year as the BMW Sauber has steadily improved. Third was Rubens Barrichello (Honda) who holds the record with 122 starts before winning the 123rd. Rubens drove an intelligent race and finished on the podium for the first time since 2005. Today’s result brings him into 10th overall behind Fernando Alonso. Alonso had a superb race, coming through to fourth with 14 laps to go. Kovalainen in the McLaren tried every trick in the book to get past but ‘Nando was driving the widest Renault on the track! Kovalainen finally went around the outside of Alonso who, along with Raikkonen, was then lapped by Hamilton. Worn tyres meant that Alonso had to back off towards the end, allowing Raikkonen and Trulli through and finishing seventh. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) had trouble with the set-up of his car following Friday’s crash and finished last after several spins. Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber) never really seemed comfortable in the rain and spun off on lap 40. The top six finishers were: Today’s win puts Hamilton back on the leader board with 48 points, tying with Massa and Raikkonen. So, half way through the season (already?), the leader board looks like this: Drivers: Teams: The next race, the German Grand Prix, takes place at Hockenheim in two weeks (Sunday 20 July). 5pm Saturday The grid line-up: 10am. Saturday Silverstone looks like becoming the British equivalent of Magny Cours, now that a deal has been signed to move the British Grand Prix to Donington Park in 2010. There will be feelings of dismay and anger from members of the British Racing Drivers Club, whose president Damon Hill had been trying to get state aid to raise standards at the Northamptonshire circuit. FIA President Max Mosley said “After many years of patient but fruitless negotiation with the BRDC, we are delighted that Bernie (Ecclestone) has nevertheless been able to ensure that the British Grand Prix will keep its place on the Formula 1 World Championship Calendar.” This year’s event could be dominated by Ferrari, whose performance so far this season has been strong. Felipe Massa, the young Brazilian who leads the championship for the first time, had a 190 MPH crash during practise on Friday but will be out again today, attempting to qualify on the front row for tomorrow’s race. Team mate Kimi Raikkonen is currently lying third and will be hoping to close the points gap. BMW Sauber, with two excellent drivers Robert Kubika and Nick Heidfeld, look certain to maintain their second place in the Team points whilst McLaren must be hoping that Lewis Hamilton can regain some form after his recent set-backs. Team mate Heikki Kovaleinen is sixth overall, just two points clear of Jarno Truli (Toyota) and Mark Webber (Red Bull). Spain’s Fernando Alonso, recently nominated by The Times readers as the best driver of all time (!), is still a lowly ninth overall. Like Hamilton, he will be hoping for the traditional downpour at Silverstone to take out some of his faster opponents. As always, grid position will be important but a shower or two of rain will provide an excellent test of driving skills. Intermittent rain is forecast for today’s qualifying session, with more rain tomorrow. We will up-date you this evening when the final grid positions are known. French Grand Prix The Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa took the front row on the grid this afternoon for the start of the French Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso (Renault) drove a superb qualifying lap to start third, followed by Jarno Trulli (Toyota) and Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber). Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) qualified third fastest but started 13th due to the ten-place penalty from his pit lane crash in Montreal. His team-mate Heikki Kovaleinan was penalised during qualifying and had to settle for starting tenth, so the McLaren drivers looked like having a tough race ahead of them. Raikkonen took control immediately and, with Masa protecting his rear, looked to have the race sewn up within his first twenty laps of this 4.4km track set deep in the Burgundy countryside. Jarno Trulli shot past Alonso at the start in the much-improved Toyota. Things started to change around the middle of the race. Raikkonen, who had looked invincible, seemed to be losing pace and with 32 laps to go, Massa took the lead. We later heard that Raikkonen had been having problems with the exhaust system on his car which had resulted in a loss of power. Light rain caused a few anxious moments in the latter stages of the race but not enough to warrant a tyre change. In the end, Felipe Massa won with Raikkonen a distant second. Truli fought off a determined challenge from Heikki Kovaleinan to bring the Honda Team their first podium since 2005. Robert Kubica, the winner in Canada, brought his BMW Sauber home in fifth, followed by Mark Webber (Red Bull). Fernando Alonso held onto seventh place until the final lap when a slower car blocked him, allowing team-mate Nelsinho Piquet through. Lewis Hamilton? In this morning’s Sunday Times, Martin Brundle gave him this piece of advice: “There are going to be times during this afternoon’s race where he’s going to be tempted into 50-50 moves, but he’d be wise to control his natural racing urge.” Having, Hamilton (McLaren) set a blistering pace, gaining 3 places on the first lap. But the stewards decided that overtaking Sebastien Vettel (Torro Rosso) going into the chicane was dangerous and awarded a drive-through penalty which took the young Englishman back to thirteenth. He managed to claw his way back through the field to finish 10th behind David Coulthard (Red Bull) The next race in the calendar is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 6. Until then, the top scorers are: French Grand Prix Hands up who can tell us where this ‘famous’ French race track is? No, I couldn’t either until I looked it up on the map. Unlike Le Mans, whose location seems to have embedded itself into the brains of most motor racing fans, Magny Cours has failed to interest any but the most avid petrolheads. Anyway, for those who want to know, the site of the French Grand Prix lies deep in the Burgundy countryside, some 12 kms south of Nevers (alright then, 250 kms south of Paris). Rumour has it that this will be the last French GP to be held here, with Bernie Eccleston angling to move the venue to Paris next year. As the drivers warm up for the 8th race in their calendar an interesting situation has developed. Due to the unfortunate (some would say stupid) pit lane collision between Raikkonen (Ferrari) and Hamilton (McLaren) in Montreal on June 8th, just 7 points now separate the top four drivers. Leading the pack is Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber) with 42 points and celebrating his first win. Massa and Hamilton both have 38 while Raikkonen has 35. Hamilton will start at least 10 places back due to the penalty from Montreal, which could bring Heidfeld, in the other BMW Sauber, closer to the top four. With the European Grand Prix in Valencia just two months away, Spanish eyes will be watching Fernando Alonso (Renault) back in ninth place. Alonso has suffered with a slow car this year, in spite of which he has driven well to collect 9 points in three of the races. Good news for those who feel that team boss Flavio Briatore’s preoccupation with ‘Wonderbra’ model Elisabetta Gregoraci may have contributed to the lack of performance. They got married last Saturday; congratulations to the happy couple; now....back to business! The course is expected to favour the lightening-fast Ferraris and, with Hamilton’s ten-place penalty, McLaren will have to trust that Heikki Kovaleinen can help his team mate up through the field. BMW Sauber, just 3 points behind Ferrari in the Constructor’s Standings and 17 points ahead of McLaren, will be hoping that Kubica and Heidfeld can give the Scuderia a run for their money. Further down the field, David Coulthard (Red Bull – Renault) in what is said to be his last season will be keen to prove that his 3rd place in Canada was no fluke. Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello in the Hondas will be desperately trying to add to the miserable 8 points their team currently holds. A report on the race will be posted onto the thisisvalencia.com on Sunday. For those without Sky who would like to see some of the race, it is usually broadcast on Spanish Channel 33. Commentary starts from around 13.00 with the start at 14.00. This is usually repeated on Sunday evening at 22.00. Mike O’Neill, 21 June 2008 |
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