After his stunning win in Monaco Lewis Hamilton has suffered for the past two races, due to rookie mistakes and has suddenly fallen out of love with the media, yes British media included. The pressure has clearly gotten to Lewis Hamilton, the question is how well he can cope with it and overcome it before it's too late. He has got the gift that not many other drivers possess - raw talent and ability and given a competitive car he can make it do wonders. McLaren have a bigger role to play here - to ensure they protect their driver from outside influences.
Lewis Hamilton has been a part of the Ron Dennis owned McLaren family for over a decade and has had the best possible (and comfortable) route to Formula One. The first time he met Ron Dennis, during a karting race, he confidently told him that not only will be race in one of his cars but he would also win the Formula One World Championship in one of his cars. He has never looked back and has now reached the heights of his stardom. Hamilton has been backed by McLaren almost throughout his career and has won the F3 Euroseries Championship and the GP2 Championship on his way to Formula One.
He was deadly in his rookie year in F1 as took the battle to both Alonso and Raikkonen. He had the advantage of having the best car, which was being setup by a two-time World Champion, and had absolutely no pressure on himself. If he lost to Alonso, it was ok as it was his rookie year, and if he beat Alonso, he would be the rookie that beat the two-time World Champion. After having a great rookie year pundits predicted Hamilton as the title favourite this year, along with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. He started off strongly by winning at Albert Park, but has failed to show results that match his ability thereafter. Monaco was a great win for him, despite hitting the barrier, but apart from that he has looked very ordinary.
He crawled from the start line in Bahrain and soon hammered the back of Alonso's Renault before the end of the first lap. Canada was a disaster as he hit Raikkonen at the end of the pit lane. For the first time in his career, this mistake was seen as a very stupid one and people were slowly starting to doubt his abilities. A crucial mistake Hamilton made was not admitting to this being his mistake. This was not received well by the public, British media included, who have been his strongest supporters ever since he reached Formula One.
His ten-second penalty was completely justified and Hamilton always knew he was at a disadvantage coming into Magny-Cours. After getting on to a great start he blew his chances when he received a drive-through penalty, by refusing to yield a position to Sebastien Vettel, when he crossed the chicane to get past him. This has been the topic of controversy for the past few weeks but as far I am concerned, I don't see any problem with the decision. Yes you could say he was clearly ahead going into the chicane, but that is only because he did not brake and cut the chicane. If Hamilton had braked or eased for the corner, I am quite confident he would not have been ahead and would have had to wait before getting past the German. if he had just yielded the position he would have gotten past in no time. This is where I feel the team let Hamilton down, it was so close that the driver does not have the visuals that the team will have.
McLaren in their statement have said they did not even know about this incident until FIA Formula One race director Charlie Whiting called the team and asked them to inform Hamilton of this penalty. After the incident, the team should have immediately called Charlie Whiting and checked whether Hamilton should have let Vettel back in front. Their inefficiency has just made things even tougher for their star driver. Hamilton refused to talk to media after the race and was visibly upset with the weekend.
The British media have supported Hamilton through thick and thin, and have also been his greatest admirers. For the first time in his F1 career, they have attacked their blue-eyed boy, criticizing him to no ends. The question is how will Lewis respond to this? In my opinion, Lewis will respond the only way he knows, by blowing the competition away at Silverstone. Best way to get them back on his bandwagon is to deliver the results we all know he is capable of. Riding high after last week's testing at the Northamptonshire circuit, Hamilton is supremely confident going in to this weeks British GP, with my money on Lewis winning it. He will be more charged up than ever before, like any driver will be at their home grand prix.
Lewis cannot afford any more mistakes at this stage or he will be left behind by both the Ferrari's. If I was you, I would think twice before counting Lewis out of this year's championship. Hamilton's performance in the next couple of races will depend on how he handles the pressure, but remember one more mistake and the media will be all over him like a swarm of flies and getting back from that will be tougher than ever before..
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Rise or Fall of the FIA??
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile or the FIA have been excessively in the news over the past few months for all the wrong reasons and there seems to be no end to it. It started off with the Max Mosley scandal to the fallout from the judgment on Mosleygate, threats of a breakaway F1 championship, the return of F2, and finally the power struggle between Mosley and Eccelstone.
A quick background - FIA started the first Formula One Championship in 1950 and are the governing body for almost all motor racing events around the world. The current President of the FIA is none other than Max Mosley, former barrister, racer, team owner and until recently, close ally of Bernie Eccelstone. Eccelstone and Mosley have been credited as the masterminds behind the phenomenal rise of Formula One on a global level. Mosley has been President since 1993 and is currently in his fourth and last term as President. Mosley has been at loggerheads with the Formula One Manufacturers for the past decade, with many threats of a breakaway series. The FIA has also been blamed of showing favouritism towards Ferrari in the past years which has also been a cause for the rift between the federation and manufacturers. Last year when McLaren were found guilty, Mosley was fierce in his criticism towards the team and their owner Ron Dennis, who have always had a stormy relationship.
Two months ago, News of the World, British tabloid reported that Mosley had engaged in sexual acts with many prostitutes in a Nazi role-play. This video was circulated on youtube giving the whole world access to this video. The Formula One manufactures, motorsport governing bodies around the world, race organizers went after Mosley, citing this is no way for the head of a gloabl body to behave, and asked that he resign from his post. Mosley is not the head of the world's automobile governing body for no reason, he bought his time, used his resources and emerged victorious in the general assembly body which was arranged to vote on whether he stays or goes.
Mosley might have won that battle but the war is far from over. This has also caused a strain in his relationship with Bernie Eccelstone, the two allies who worked so hard to get Formula One to where it is right now. Eccelstone has been working with the manufacturers to look at the possibility of creating a new series. This as we know will be a herculean task but if anyone can do it, Bernie Eccelstone is that man.
The FIA last week announced plans of bringing back the famous F2 name, as an inexpensive feeder series to the Formula One Championship. This is obviously aimed at Eccelstone's GP2 series, which is currently the most successful feeder series for Formula One. With this move, the intentions from the FIA are clear, and will not be taken lightly.
This leads us to the biggest rivalry brewing in the world of motorsport right now, battle between FIA's Max Mosley and F1's Bernie Eccelstone. Their relationship dates back more than 35 years, with Max and Bernie forming a terrific duo to take control of the sport and bring it to where it is right now. They worked together during the FISA-FOCA wars, Mosley and Eccelstone were instrumental in bringing the levels of safety in F1 to an all time high after the tragic death of Ayrton Senna, and now they will face their toughest battle ever.
Mosley's victory in the sex scandal has once again re-established Mosley as the key decision maker in the motorsport industry. However his extracurricular escapades have caught the eye of many detractors and many want to be distanced from Mosley. It will be interesting to see how far they both take their threats forward. Eccelstone will have to pull off the impossible if he is to create a breakaway series, and it should be noted that he is not getting any younger. At 78 he is more active than half the people involved in the business. Mosley has the backing of Ferrari, who will not be involved in a breakaway series, thus bringing Toro Rosso with them. He is trying to create a different feeder series, wresting control of the sport from his long-time friend Eccelstone.
Both Max & Bernie are getting older by the day and what the future holds after they retire will be interesting to see. This will result in either the rise or the fall of FIA, how it goes from here will be interesting to see..
A quick background - FIA started the first Formula One Championship in 1950 and are the governing body for almost all motor racing events around the world. The current President of the FIA is none other than Max Mosley, former barrister, racer, team owner and until recently, close ally of Bernie Eccelstone. Eccelstone and Mosley have been credited as the masterminds behind the phenomenal rise of Formula One on a global level. Mosley has been President since 1993 and is currently in his fourth and last term as President. Mosley has been at loggerheads with the Formula One Manufacturers for the past decade, with many threats of a breakaway series. The FIA has also been blamed of showing favouritism towards Ferrari in the past years which has also been a cause for the rift between the federation and manufacturers. Last year when McLaren were found guilty, Mosley was fierce in his criticism towards the team and their owner Ron Dennis, who have always had a stormy relationship.
Two months ago, News of the World, British tabloid reported that Mosley had engaged in sexual acts with many prostitutes in a Nazi role-play. This video was circulated on youtube giving the whole world access to this video. The Formula One manufactures, motorsport governing bodies around the world, race organizers went after Mosley, citing this is no way for the head of a gloabl body to behave, and asked that he resign from his post. Mosley is not the head of the world's automobile governing body for no reason, he bought his time, used his resources and emerged victorious in the general assembly body which was arranged to vote on whether he stays or goes.
Mosley might have won that battle but the war is far from over. This has also caused a strain in his relationship with Bernie Eccelstone, the two allies who worked so hard to get Formula One to where it is right now. Eccelstone has been working with the manufacturers to look at the possibility of creating a new series. This as we know will be a herculean task but if anyone can do it, Bernie Eccelstone is that man.
The FIA last week announced plans of bringing back the famous F2 name, as an inexpensive feeder series to the Formula One Championship. This is obviously aimed at Eccelstone's GP2 series, which is currently the most successful feeder series for Formula One. With this move, the intentions from the FIA are clear, and will not be taken lightly.
This leads us to the biggest rivalry brewing in the world of motorsport right now, battle between FIA's Max Mosley and F1's Bernie Eccelstone. Their relationship dates back more than 35 years, with Max and Bernie forming a terrific duo to take control of the sport and bring it to where it is right now. They worked together during the FISA-FOCA wars, Mosley and Eccelstone were instrumental in bringing the levels of safety in F1 to an all time high after the tragic death of Ayrton Senna, and now they will face their toughest battle ever.
Mosley's victory in the sex scandal has once again re-established Mosley as the key decision maker in the motorsport industry. However his extracurricular escapades have caught the eye of many detractors and many want to be distanced from Mosley. It will be interesting to see how far they both take their threats forward. Eccelstone will have to pull off the impossible if he is to create a breakaway series, and it should be noted that he is not getting any younger. At 78 he is more active than half the people involved in the business. Mosley has the backing of Ferrari, who will not be involved in a breakaway series, thus bringing Toro Rosso with them. He is trying to create a different feeder series, wresting control of the sport from his long-time friend Eccelstone.
Both Max & Bernie are getting older by the day and what the future holds after they retire will be interesting to see. This will result in either the rise or the fall of FIA, how it goes from here will be interesting to see..
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Preview to Magny-Cours 2008
Well we are back to France at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, probably for the last time. Even though the Magny-Cours circuit is a fantastic circuit for most drivers, its in the middle of nowhere and one of the least favourite locations for all of the Formula One paddock. It is quite a shame as it has some terrific corners from high speed corners to the tight Adelaide hairpin to the fast and slow chicanes. This circuit has the unique feature of corners being named after other circuits sich as Estoril and Adelaide. As every other race, finding the ideal setup here is key as this circuit demands more downforce than Canada and being smooth here is crucial.
Each lap is 4.41km with the race being a 70 lap race, normally a tw0-stop strategy, even though Michael Schumacher successfully converted a three-stop strategy to win in 2004. The only overtaking opportunity here is the Adelaide hairpin and nowadays the revised penultimate corner offers couple of opportunities. Alonso showed us last year that overtaking is possible but really really tough.
This year, even though the qualifying session has been really close, the Ferrari's look a level better than the rest. With both McLaren's starting outside the top ten it should be a walk in the park for the Ferrari. One interesting note is that thunderstorms are expected during the race which could work in favour of Hamilton, who has shown his extraordinary talent in changing conditions as in Monaco this year. Hamilton is starting 13th due to his ten-place penalty following his crash with Raikkonen in Montreal. The other McLaren driver qualified 6th but has been given a five place penalty for impeding Mark Webber's flying lap.
Former team-mates and Trulli are starting from the second row after a sensational qualifying performance from both drivers. However, both are expected to be running with a light fuel load. The surprise of the afternoon has been the pace of the BMW Sauber team with Nick Heidfeld struggling to get into Q2 and finally ending up in 12th position. Canadian GP winner qualified a disappointing 7th but will move up to 5th due to the McLarens being pushed back. Kubica should now look at gaining maximum points and possibly a podium finish. The Red Bulls of Webber and Coulthard also put in a great effort to finish 8th and 9th. The other team that impressed were the Toro Ross drivers of Vettel and Bourdais, showing that the new car is a step forward.
The race today could be interesting if there are changing weather conditions. If not look for it to be a procession race as overtaking is quite hard over here. However saying that, with Hamilton starting 13th I am sure he is gonna prove me wrong and for sure going to entertain with moves that are either gonna work or put him out of the race. So my money is on a Ferrari one-two with Hamilton finishing in a top five position..
Each lap is 4.41km with the race being a 70 lap race, normally a tw0-stop strategy, even though Michael Schumacher successfully converted a three-stop strategy to win in 2004. The only overtaking opportunity here is the Adelaide hairpin and nowadays the revised penultimate corner offers couple of opportunities. Alonso showed us last year that overtaking is possible but really really tough.
This year, even though the qualifying session has been really close, the Ferrari's look a level better than the rest. With both McLaren's starting outside the top ten it should be a walk in the park for the Ferrari. One interesting note is that thunderstorms are expected during the race which could work in favour of Hamilton, who has shown his extraordinary talent in changing conditions as in Monaco this year. Hamilton is starting 13th due to his ten-place penalty following his crash with Raikkonen in Montreal. The other McLaren driver qualified 6th but has been given a five place penalty for impeding Mark Webber's flying lap.
Former team-mates and Trulli are starting from the second row after a sensational qualifying performance from both drivers. However, both are expected to be running with a light fuel load. The surprise of the afternoon has been the pace of the BMW Sauber team with Nick Heidfeld struggling to get into Q2 and finally ending up in 12th position. Canadian GP winner qualified a disappointing 7th but will move up to 5th due to the McLarens being pushed back. Kubica should now look at gaining maximum points and possibly a podium finish. The Red Bulls of Webber and Coulthard also put in a great effort to finish 8th and 9th. The other team that impressed were the Toro Ross drivers of Vettel and Bourdais, showing that the new car is a step forward.
The race today could be interesting if there are changing weather conditions. If not look for it to be a procession race as overtaking is quite hard over here. However saying that, with Hamilton starting 13th I am sure he is gonna prove me wrong and for sure going to entertain with moves that are either gonna work or put him out of the race. So my money is on a Ferrari one-two with Hamilton finishing in a top five position..
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Formula One Ladder
Racing in
There are more opportunities for youngsters wanting to take up the sport now with regular karting and racing championships. The Indian National Racing Championship comprises of Formula Maruti and Formula LGB with a new series also being introduced last year. Karting is the first step towards building your career in racing. Karting is considered the first step in any serious racer's career. It helps in preparing the driver for high-speed wheel-to-wheel racing by not only helping develop quick reflexes but also precision car control and decision-making skills. In addition, it brings an awareness of the various changes that can be made to try to improve the competitiveness of the kart .
INRC is the second step towards reaching the Formula One dream. While this will the normal step for Indians, Europeans will take the Formula Ford route. Formula Ford is one the most competitive series with 30 guys battling wheel-to-wheel. As
The next logical step is to move up to Formula Renault V6 Asia, which was introduced three years ago.
While the British F3 series is a good option, it is also a very expensive option with budgets close to @1.2 million. Other series which are a better option budget-wise include F3 Euroseries, Italian F3, German F3, and All Japan F3 Championship.Formula Three cars use slick racing tyres with 2-litre engines, with Dallara chassis dominating majority of the F3 cars.
A highlight at the end of every year is driven on the narrow streets of Macau, the old Portuguese settlement in
Faster classes than Formula 3 cannot be used in
The next step in one's racing career is the World Series Renault. The budget for this series is about $ 700,000 and lost some of it's competitive edge with the arrival of the GP2 series. Nonetheless it is a fierce competition with former champions such as Robert Kubica, Heikki Kovalainen and
GP2, the brainchild of Bernie Eccelstone and Flavio Briatore is the last step before reaching the doors of Formula One. The series takes place on the Formula One weekends, lending credibility to the series, giving drivers the advantage of learning the circuits, and use of the Formula One facilities. They use a 4 litre Renault V8 engine with 580 horsepower.
The budget here is about $1.7 million. These cars are about 4-5 secs slower than the slowest car on the F1 grid, thus ensuring the jump to F1 is not that difficult for drivers and that they are well prepared. Former Champions include Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Timo Glock. This is the ultimate step before reaching the doors of F1.
Kimi Raikkonen might be the only driver in recent history to make the jump to Formula One after a mere 23 races. After winning 13 out the 23 races in the Formula Renault UK series he was drafted in by Peter Sauber to drive for the Sauber team in 2001, amidst concerns over granting a inexperienced driver a super license. Kimi is a natural talent and always has been. However all the other drivers have taken the normal steps up to the pinnacle of motor sports.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Testing Roundup - Barcelona: June 12-14, 2008
Following a chaotic Candian Grand Prix, things went back to normal as testing resumed at the Circuit de Catalunya on June 12, 2008. Canadian GP winner Robert Kubica and other podium finisher David Coulthard were the only regular drivers on hand for the first day of testing. Test drivers on hand included Gary Paffett for McLaren, Luca Badoer for Ferrari, Gp2 drivers Sebastian Buemi for Red Bull, Kamui Kobayashi for Toyota, and Romain Grosjean for Renault. Former Super Aguri driver Anthony Davidson was back at a Formula One wheel for Honda and Nico Hulkenberg for Williams Toyota.
GP2 Asia Champion Romain Grosjean had his first full day behind the wheel of the Renault, and completed only 60 laps after suffering an engine problem in the morning. This test is important for the Renault team as they have to take a decision on whether to continue development on the R28 or start focusing on next year's car. Badoer topped the times with a 1:22:412 followed closely by Kubica who did a 1:22:682 while the Red Bull's of Coulthard and Buemi came in 3rd and 4th respectively. Testing finished early with the final hour being disrupted by rain.
Day two saw the return of most of the regular drivers with Luca Badoer topping the times once again with a 1:21:013, a full second faster than the first day. Pedro De laRosa's McLaren finished second with a 1:21:374 with Timo Glock clocking a 1:21:574 in third place. Nelson Piquet, under pressure for his seat, finished a mammoth 129 laps before suffering engine problems. Grosjean also suffered the same problems yesterday, which could be a worry for the Enstone based team.
Day three saw Renault's Nelson Piquet topping the timesheets with a 1:20:076 followed by the Mclaren Mercedes of Pedro De la Rosa. While this was a definite confidence booster for Piquet, he was also quick to admit it was probably done with qualifying in mind.
Overall it was a useful test for most teams, with rain not playing too much of a role in the proceedings. McLaren Mercedes are confident that they have the fastest car on the grid and feel they have improved vastly in the high speed corners, where they were losing out to the Ferrari last year.
It is important to know that teams normally have a race team and test team. The test team have a separate team taking them from test to test to ease the burden off the race team. Obviously the teams with more money have the advantage of having more personnel at their disposal for a separate test team. Testing also provides teams to look into the abilities of various drivers, not only their speed but their technical feedback too. Drivers like Raikkonen prefer to stick to the driving side and dont get too involved in the technical side of things. Michael Schumacher was known for his involvement in the technical side of things, which helped him to be probably the most complete driver ever in Formula One, with Alain Prost a close second. Amongst today's drivers, the most complete driver would undoubtedly have to be Fernando Alonso. Alonso famously boasted last year that he brought six-tenths to the McLaren Mercedes, and this has been proved right as he has improved the Renault dramatically in the last couple of months.
Testing is an integral part of any team and the best time for teams to test out new parts, new designs and even new drivers. Let us see who has gained most from the test last week, when we head to Magny-Cours this weekend..
GP2 Asia Champion Romain Grosjean had his first full day behind the wheel of the Renault, and completed only 60 laps after suffering an engine problem in the morning. This test is important for the Renault team as they have to take a decision on whether to continue development on the R28 or start focusing on next year's car. Badoer topped the times with a 1:22:412 followed closely by Kubica who did a 1:22:682 while the Red Bull's of Coulthard and Buemi came in 3rd and 4th respectively. Testing finished early with the final hour being disrupted by rain.
Day two saw the return of most of the regular drivers with Luca Badoer topping the times once again with a 1:21:013, a full second faster than the first day. Pedro De laRosa's McLaren finished second with a 1:21:374 with Timo Glock clocking a 1:21:574 in third place. Nelson Piquet, under pressure for his seat, finished a mammoth 129 laps before suffering engine problems. Grosjean also suffered the same problems yesterday, which could be a worry for the Enstone based team.
Day three saw Renault's Nelson Piquet topping the timesheets with a 1:20:076 followed by the Mclaren Mercedes of Pedro De la Rosa. While this was a definite confidence booster for Piquet, he was also quick to admit it was probably done with qualifying in mind.
Overall it was a useful test for most teams, with rain not playing too much of a role in the proceedings. McLaren Mercedes are confident that they have the fastest car on the grid and feel they have improved vastly in the high speed corners, where they were losing out to the Ferrari last year.
It is important to know that teams normally have a race team and test team. The test team have a separate team taking them from test to test to ease the burden off the race team. Obviously the teams with more money have the advantage of having more personnel at their disposal for a separate test team. Testing also provides teams to look into the abilities of various drivers, not only their speed but their technical feedback too. Drivers like Raikkonen prefer to stick to the driving side and dont get too involved in the technical side of things. Michael Schumacher was known for his involvement in the technical side of things, which helped him to be probably the most complete driver ever in Formula One, with Alain Prost a close second. Amongst today's drivers, the most complete driver would undoubtedly have to be Fernando Alonso. Alonso famously boasted last year that he brought six-tenths to the McLaren Mercedes, and this has been proved right as he has improved the Renault dramatically in the last couple of months.
Testing is an integral part of any team and the best time for teams to test out new parts, new designs and even new drivers. Let us see who has gained most from the test last week, when we head to Magny-Cours this weekend..
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Next Indian Formula One Driver
The last three years has seen India making a strong impact in the World of Formula One. The biggest impact will obviously have to be Vijay Mallya's ownership of a Formula One team, namely Force India. Ten years ago, no one could have every predicted an Indian owning an F1 team, but this year it became a reality for all. It could have been two F1 teams from India if the Spice Group had managed to work out a deal to buy the struggling Super Aguri team. They came close but could not work out a deal finally. The Force India team, promoted by Shah Rukh Khan in India has brought in a whole new bunch of viewers for the sport, and can be nothing but good for the sport. All they need now is an Indian driver to drive for the Indian team, to hold our flag up high, and listen to Jana Gana Mana blaring on the podium. Now the question is who will be the Indian driver to step up to the plate...
India has had only one F1 driver till date, that being Narain Karthikeyan in the Jordan F1 team in 2005. Narain was also a test driver with the Williams F1 team in 2006-07. Narain's highlight that year was finishing 4th at the US GP at the famed Indianapolis Speedway. But I should add that only 6 cars took part in that race, either way he will always go down in history as the highest finisher for an Indian in an Formula One race. As Narain has made A1Gp his home with some fantastic performances, his chances of getting back into F1 look bleak, but anything is possible.
In the last couple of years Narain's 'Fastest Indian in the World' tag has been constantly threatened by none other than Karun Chandhok, and rightly so.
Karun hails from a family of racers, with his grandfather Indu Chandhok and his father Vicky Chandhok, leading racers during their time. It is easy to see where Karun gets his talent and abilities from. Vicky Chandhok has still got the ability to wring the neck out of any car that he manages to get his hands on. Dont take my word for it, ask the American and British cops, or for that matter, any country that he has driven in. Karun has always lived, breathed and dreamed Formula One and is one of the most committed drivers presently in the sport.
If I am not mistaken, his first words ever spoken were 'çar' instead of 'mom' or 'dad' like normal babies do so. His visits to the race track in Chennai started at an early age when he used to spend the whole day there with his father. Amazingly he still continues to go to the track to help out the youngsters, whenever in town.
Karun has taken the necessary steps in the racing ladder, with the next obvious step being Formula One. After successfully winning the Indian National Racing Championship and Asian Formula Championship in 2000 & 2001, Karun moved on to the Formula 3 series in England. He was the winner of the inaugural Formula Asia Renault V6 Championship in 2006 which led him to take part in the GP2 Championship with Durango. GP2, for those who dont know, is the last step before reaching the doors of Formula One. Previous champions include Nico Rosberg (2005), Lewis Hamilton (2006) and Timo Glock (2007). Karun started the 2007 season slowly and was leading in Turkey with 10 laps to go before he was punted off by Nakajima. However he finished on a very strong note with a historic victory in Spa, possibly the greatest circuit for any racer. This was also the first time the Indian national anthem was played in any form of racing, bringing tears to many, including Karun himself. This resulted in a test with Red Bull Racing, where he finished a creditable seven-tenths of veteran driver David Coulthard.
This year the task is even tougher, with his team-mate being none other than Bruno Senna, nephew of racing legend Ayrton Senna. Ayrton Senna once said "watch out for this kid, he is gonna be even faster than I am". This year is gonna be crucial for Karun, as good performances will ensure a seat in F1 next year. However, this year the competition seems to be at the highest levels with drivers in a position to win the championship. Karun needs some luck to help him have a good race. He finished on the podium in Monaco last time out and is testing this week at the Paul Ricard circuit in France and the more familiar he gets with the car, the more he can be ahead of the pack.
The only other Indians racing Armaan Ebrahim and Parthiva Sureshwaran, but both seem to be far away from Formula One for now. With Narain out to conquer A1, Karun seems to be the frontrunner to be the next Indian to get into Formula One. Well let us support our fellow Indian and drive him to Formula One..
India has had only one F1 driver till date, that being Narain Karthikeyan in the Jordan F1 team in 2005. Narain was also a test driver with the Williams F1 team in 2006-07. Narain's highlight that year was finishing 4th at the US GP at the famed Indianapolis Speedway. But I should add that only 6 cars took part in that race, either way he will always go down in history as the highest finisher for an Indian in an Formula One race. As Narain has made A1Gp his home with some fantastic performances, his chances of getting back into F1 look bleak, but anything is possible.
In the last couple of years Narain's 'Fastest Indian in the World' tag has been constantly threatened by none other than Karun Chandhok, and rightly so.
Karun hails from a family of racers, with his grandfather Indu Chandhok and his father Vicky Chandhok, leading racers during their time. It is easy to see where Karun gets his talent and abilities from. Vicky Chandhok has still got the ability to wring the neck out of any car that he manages to get his hands on. Dont take my word for it, ask the American and British cops, or for that matter, any country that he has driven in. Karun has always lived, breathed and dreamed Formula One and is one of the most committed drivers presently in the sport.
If I am not mistaken, his first words ever spoken were 'çar' instead of 'mom' or 'dad' like normal babies do so. His visits to the race track in Chennai started at an early age when he used to spend the whole day there with his father. Amazingly he still continues to go to the track to help out the youngsters, whenever in town.Karun has taken the necessary steps in the racing ladder, with the next obvious step being Formula One. After successfully winning the Indian National Racing Championship and Asian Formula Championship in 2000 & 2001, Karun moved on to the Formula 3 series in England. He was the winner of the inaugural Formula Asia Renault V6 Championship in 2006 which led him to take part in the GP2 Championship with Durango. GP2, for those who dont know, is the last step before reaching the doors of Formula One. Previous champions include Nico Rosberg (2005), Lewis Hamilton (2006) and Timo Glock (2007). Karun started the 2007 season slowly and was leading in Turkey with 10 laps to go before he was punted off by Nakajima. However he finished on a very strong note with a historic victory in Spa, possibly the greatest circuit for any racer. This was also the first time the Indian national anthem was played in any form of racing, bringing tears to many, including Karun himself. This resulted in a test with Red Bull Racing, where he finished a creditable seven-tenths of veteran driver David Coulthard.
This year the task is even tougher, with his team-mate being none other than Bruno Senna, nephew of racing legend Ayrton Senna. Ayrton Senna once said "watch out for this kid, he is gonna be even faster than I am". This year is gonna be crucial for Karun, as good performances will ensure a seat in F1 next year. However, this year the competition seems to be at the highest levels with drivers in a position to win the championship. Karun needs some luck to help him have a good race. He finished on the podium in Monaco last time out and is testing this week at the Paul Ricard circuit in France and the more familiar he gets with the car, the more he can be ahead of the pack.
The only other Indians racing Armaan Ebrahim and Parthiva Sureshwaran, but both seem to be far away from Formula One for now. With Narain out to conquer A1, Karun seems to be the frontrunner to be the next Indian to get into Formula One. Well let us support our fellow Indian and drive him to Formula One..
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Formula One 'Silly Season' Begins
As we are seven races into the Formula One season, it is easy to say that the 'Silly Season' has begun. Some people might say why Silly Season or what is Silly Season? This refers to the driver market and their plans for the next year. Silly because rumours are at the highest levels about who will drive for which team next year. Even thought we are not even half way through the season let me give you my views on how it is looking for next year.
Let's start with Ferrari, Massa and Raikkonen are sure to be behind the wheel of the Prancing Horse. There are strong murmurs around the paddock that Raikkonen will hang up his racing boots in 2009, paving the way for a new driver in 2010. There is a strong possibility of this due to couple of reasons. Firstly Raikkonen should be Champion this year unless he has miserable luck like he did for the last two races. Either way I see Raikkonen coming out on top, but it's gonna go down to the wire. Secondly Raikkonen drives for the pure pleasure of driving, he does not care of the PR work around it. The way he sees it, his job is to come, drive and then live his own life the way he wants to. After a second title he will get bored and want another challenge. Raikkonen is easily one of the top three drivers in Formula One right now, along with Alonso and Hamilton so it would be a shame for the sport if he does decide to retire. Massa on the other hand has come to life in the last couple of races and has raised his game to be a serious championship contender. However, if Raikkonen does stay with the team beyond 2009, Massa will have to give way for either Alonso or Kubica, as insiders suggest.
McLaren seem to be set to retain their drivers for the next year with both Hamilton and Kovalainen doing a great job. Many pundits expected Hamilton to blow the Finn away, but Kovalainen has put in some great drives to be on par with his teammate.
BMW Sauber is the team where most of the changes might occur. Kubica's contract will run out soon and the team will have to work hard to keep the Polish driver, who is a Ferrari target. With Kubica improving rapidly, I am sure not only Ferrari will be gunning for him. However, his team-mate Heidfeld on the other hand seems to be in trouble, with Kubica dominating him in the first seven races. But it should be remembered that we are not even half way through the season so Heidfeld has more time to show the form he showed during last year's Formula One season.
Williams set to keep both Rosberg and Nakajima next year, with Rosberg putting in some outstanding performances this year. However it is just a matter of time before Rosberg hunts for a championship winning car, a car his talent is worthy of.
Renault are another time with an unpredictable future with regards to drivers. Nelson Piquet Jnr, son of three time World Champion Nelson Piquet, has been struggling in his debut year, and has been blown away by Alonso. Rumours suggest he has been given a three race lifeline, to prove himself or be loaned off to another team. Alonso has reportedly signed a deal to drive for Ferrari in 2010, which is mainly contributing to the Silly Season.
Honda have two veterans on their side in the form of Button and Barrichello, and with Ross Brawn at the head, dont see these two leaving team next year.
Red Bull and Toro Rosso will definitely have some changes next year. Even though Coulthard secured a podium last time out in Canada, look out for the young teenage German sensation Sebastian Vettel to move up from Toro Rosso to the Red Bull Racing team. Webber will in all probability keep his drive with a possibility of Nelson Piquet going to the Toro Rosso team.
Toyota seem set to keep their drivers too, as both Trulli and Glock have put in commendable performances this year. However one must wonder if this team will ever be in contention for the championship.
Lastly and definitely not the least is then Force India F1 team. Sutil was outstanding in Monaco, but apart from that has not been off the pace. Maybe Monaco was the breakthrough he needed to understand the car. He better improve, as waiting in the wings is India's very own Karun Chandhok, who is easily the fastest Indian in the world right now. Karun has been through F1 ladder and will be knocking hard on the doors of the Force India F1 team next year. His brilliant performance in Monaco earned him third place on the podium and will definitely be in contention for race wins in the GP2 season this year.
Seven races into the season and we are already deciding the drivers market for the next year, sound a bit silly to you?? Now we know why it is called Silly Season...
Tomorrow I will blog about the guy who will probably be India's next Formula One driver - Karun Chandhok..
Let's start with Ferrari, Massa and Raikkonen are sure to be behind the wheel of the Prancing Horse. There are strong murmurs around the paddock that Raikkonen will hang up his racing boots in 2009, paving the way for a new driver in 2010. There is a strong possibility of this due to couple of reasons. Firstly Raikkonen should be Champion this year unless he has miserable luck like he did for the last two races. Either way I see Raikkonen coming out on top, but it's gonna go down to the wire. Secondly Raikkonen drives for the pure pleasure of driving, he does not care of the PR work around it. The way he sees it, his job is to come, drive and then live his own life the way he wants to. After a second title he will get bored and want another challenge. Raikkonen is easily one of the top three drivers in Formula One right now, along with Alonso and Hamilton so it would be a shame for the sport if he does decide to retire. Massa on the other hand has come to life in the last couple of races and has raised his game to be a serious championship contender. However, if Raikkonen does stay with the team beyond 2009, Massa will have to give way for either Alonso or Kubica, as insiders suggest.
McLaren seem to be set to retain their drivers for the next year with both Hamilton and Kovalainen doing a great job. Many pundits expected Hamilton to blow the Finn away, but Kovalainen has put in some great drives to be on par with his teammate.
BMW Sauber is the team where most of the changes might occur. Kubica's contract will run out soon and the team will have to work hard to keep the Polish driver, who is a Ferrari target. With Kubica improving rapidly, I am sure not only Ferrari will be gunning for him. However, his team-mate Heidfeld on the other hand seems to be in trouble, with Kubica dominating him in the first seven races. But it should be remembered that we are not even half way through the season so Heidfeld has more time to show the form he showed during last year's Formula One season.
Williams set to keep both Rosberg and Nakajima next year, with Rosberg putting in some outstanding performances this year. However it is just a matter of time before Rosberg hunts for a championship winning car, a car his talent is worthy of.
Renault are another time with an unpredictable future with regards to drivers. Nelson Piquet Jnr, son of three time World Champion Nelson Piquet, has been struggling in his debut year, and has been blown away by Alonso. Rumours suggest he has been given a three race lifeline, to prove himself or be loaned off to another team. Alonso has reportedly signed a deal to drive for Ferrari in 2010, which is mainly contributing to the Silly Season.
Honda have two veterans on their side in the form of Button and Barrichello, and with Ross Brawn at the head, dont see these two leaving team next year.
Red Bull and Toro Rosso will definitely have some changes next year. Even though Coulthard secured a podium last time out in Canada, look out for the young teenage German sensation Sebastian Vettel to move up from Toro Rosso to the Red Bull Racing team. Webber will in all probability keep his drive with a possibility of Nelson Piquet going to the Toro Rosso team.
Toyota seem set to keep their drivers too, as both Trulli and Glock have put in commendable performances this year. However one must wonder if this team will ever be in contention for the championship.
Lastly and definitely not the least is then Force India F1 team. Sutil was outstanding in Monaco, but apart from that has not been off the pace. Maybe Monaco was the breakthrough he needed to understand the car. He better improve, as waiting in the wings is India's very own Karun Chandhok, who is easily the fastest Indian in the world right now. Karun has been through F1 ladder and will be knocking hard on the doors of the Force India F1 team next year. His brilliant performance in Monaco earned him third place on the podium and will definitely be in contention for race wins in the GP2 season this year.
Seven races into the season and we are already deciding the drivers market for the next year, sound a bit silly to you?? Now we know why it is called Silly Season...
Tomorrow I will blog about the guy who will probably be India's next Formula One driver - Karun Chandhok..
Monday, June 9, 2008
Canada F1 review
This is my first blog and I plan to update this on a regular basis. This will contain various views on the F1 season and news updates too. Let me start with yesterday's Canadian GP..
For the second race in a row, the Formula One race in Canada was an action packed thriller, leading to a debut win for both Robert Kubica and the BMW F1 team. Similar to the Monaco GP over a fortnight ago, the Canadian GP provided lot of overtaking, crashes, and the all new hammering helpless cars from the rear. Who says we need rain to make a F1 race interesting??
Saturday's qualifying took place in controversial circumstances as certain parts of the track started to wear out causing problems for many drivers including reigning World Champion Kimi Raikkonen. Lewis Hamilton and Robert Kubica took full advantage of the conditions to slot in 1-2 and while Kimi could only settle for 3rd. Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg put in superlative performances to get to 4th and 5th respectively on the grid. With resurfaced parts of the circuit having started to fall apart during qualifying, most drivers were fearful about the state of the track for Sunday's race. With all teams being highly critical of the condition of the track, the authorities took up the enormous task of re-surfacing certain parts of the track including the hairpin. This is not the first time that the drivers have suffered with the surfacing at the hairpin. In 2006, if my memory serves me right, Schumacher passed Raikkonen on the penultimate lap, when Raikkonen went wide due to low grip levels. Well one thing, we were assured of a interesting race ahead.
Race started off smoothly with Hamilton in the lead, followed by Kubica and Raikkonen. Hamilton pulled away a 10 second lead from Raikkonen in third and was looking like he was going to dominate the race until Raikkonen started to reel fastest laps one after another. Force India's Adrian Sutil's gearbox failure brought out the first safety car on lap 17 which cut Hamilton's lead to nothing and led to the top six pitting together when the pit lane opened. This was a lottery and a test for the pit crews. Little did anyone know that what transpired in the next couple of minutes determined the outcome of the race. Kubica and Raikkonen jumped Hamilton and emerged jointly out of the pits only to be stopped by the red light at the end of the pitlane. Hamilton, who suffered a slow stop did not see the red light and rammed the back of Raikkonen's Ferrari, destroying both the McLaren and the Ferrari. Rosberg also missed the red light and hit the Hamilton, resulting in a broken wing. With the two title contenders out it looked to be a battle between Kubica, Alonso and Massa, until Massa was forced to pit again, due to a fuel rig problem. With half the field not pitting and the other half of the field pitting, this race was going to go down to the wire.
Heidfeld now led the race and looked to pull out a big lead before his stop. The BMW F1 team changed Heidfeld to a one-stopper and he still managed to come out ahead of Kubica and Alonso. Heidfeld was forced to let Kubica by. BMW's strategy to change Heidfeld to a one-stopper ruined his chances of winning, and effectively ruined Alonso's chances. Alonso, on a lighter fuel load was stuck behind Heidfeld, who was fuelled up till the end. Alonso's frustration finally caught up with him when he lost the rear after turn 6 and went straight in to the wall.
Kubica at this point showed why he is World Champion material by pulling out a 17 sec lead in 7 laps. He was like a man possessed putting in one fastest lap after the other. I wonder if he knew this was the race and not qualifying. This sealed the win for Kubica as he came out if the pits comfortably ahead of Heidfeld. Massa fought back from last to claim fifth place, which included a great move to get past both Barrichello and Kovalainen at the hairpin.
Kubica's victory was the first for him and the first for BMW. All in all a highly entertaining race with few after thoughts.
In my view, both Hamilton and Raikkonen have showed that it is their cars working well for them this year rather than their driving abilities. Both have made 2 unforced mistakes in the first seven races, which is definitely not the way championship contenders should be driving. Same can be said about Alonso, but his only way is to take more risks and be more aggressive. While it is clear Massa is not on the same level of Hamilton and Raikkonen, in terms of pure talent, he is ensuring he finished every race and also seems to be a strong contender. Which leads us to yesterday's winner - Kubica.
Kubica's crash last year at Canada was the most terrifying crash witnessed after a long time, and for him to bounce back like this shows enormous courage and determination. He was dominated by his team-mate last year but this year is easily the 'Number One' driver in the team, deservingly so. He has been consistently finishing in the points an taking complete advantage of his rivals mistakes. We have seen in the past few years that in order to win a championship you have to be consistent. Alonso also mentioned at the end of last year that the driver of team that wins the championship is the one that has most points - not most wins, not most fastest laps and definitely not most crashes.
Hamilton and Raikkonen will have to pull up their socks now, as will their team-mates if they want to have any chance of winning the championship. Could Kubica be counted as a serious championship contender now? Seems unlikely but this guy seems to be something special so I would think ten times before discounting him..
For the second race in a row, the Formula One race in Canada was an action packed thriller, leading to a debut win for both Robert Kubica and the BMW F1 team. Similar to the Monaco GP over a fortnight ago, the Canadian GP provided lot of overtaking, crashes, and the all new hammering helpless cars from the rear. Who says we need rain to make a F1 race interesting??
Saturday's qualifying took place in controversial circumstances as certain parts of the track started to wear out causing problems for many drivers including reigning World Champion Kimi Raikkonen. Lewis Hamilton and Robert Kubica took full advantage of the conditions to slot in 1-2 and while Kimi could only settle for 3rd. Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg put in superlative performances to get to 4th and 5th respectively on the grid. With resurfaced parts of the circuit having started to fall apart during qualifying, most drivers were fearful about the state of the track for Sunday's race. With all teams being highly critical of the condition of the track, the authorities took up the enormous task of re-surfacing certain parts of the track including the hairpin. This is not the first time that the drivers have suffered with the surfacing at the hairpin. In 2006, if my memory serves me right, Schumacher passed Raikkonen on the penultimate lap, when Raikkonen went wide due to low grip levels. Well one thing, we were assured of a interesting race ahead.
Race started off smoothly with Hamilton in the lead, followed by Kubica and Raikkonen. Hamilton pulled away a 10 second lead from Raikkonen in third and was looking like he was going to dominate the race until Raikkonen started to reel fastest laps one after another. Force India's Adrian Sutil's gearbox failure brought out the first safety car on lap 17 which cut Hamilton's lead to nothing and led to the top six pitting together when the pit lane opened. This was a lottery and a test for the pit crews. Little did anyone know that what transpired in the next couple of minutes determined the outcome of the race. Kubica and Raikkonen jumped Hamilton and emerged jointly out of the pits only to be stopped by the red light at the end of the pitlane. Hamilton, who suffered a slow stop did not see the red light and rammed the back of Raikkonen's Ferrari, destroying both the McLaren and the Ferrari. Rosberg also missed the red light and hit the Hamilton, resulting in a broken wing. With the two title contenders out it looked to be a battle between Kubica, Alonso and Massa, until Massa was forced to pit again, due to a fuel rig problem. With half the field not pitting and the other half of the field pitting, this race was going to go down to the wire.
Heidfeld now led the race and looked to pull out a big lead before his stop. The BMW F1 team changed Heidfeld to a one-stopper and he still managed to come out ahead of Kubica and Alonso. Heidfeld was forced to let Kubica by. BMW's strategy to change Heidfeld to a one-stopper ruined his chances of winning, and effectively ruined Alonso's chances. Alonso, on a lighter fuel load was stuck behind Heidfeld, who was fuelled up till the end. Alonso's frustration finally caught up with him when he lost the rear after turn 6 and went straight in to the wall.
Kubica at this point showed why he is World Champion material by pulling out a 17 sec lead in 7 laps. He was like a man possessed putting in one fastest lap after the other. I wonder if he knew this was the race and not qualifying. This sealed the win for Kubica as he came out if the pits comfortably ahead of Heidfeld. Massa fought back from last to claim fifth place, which included a great move to get past both Barrichello and Kovalainen at the hairpin.
Kubica's victory was the first for him and the first for BMW. All in all a highly entertaining race with few after thoughts.
In my view, both Hamilton and Raikkonen have showed that it is their cars working well for them this year rather than their driving abilities. Both have made 2 unforced mistakes in the first seven races, which is definitely not the way championship contenders should be driving. Same can be said about Alonso, but his only way is to take more risks and be more aggressive. While it is clear Massa is not on the same level of Hamilton and Raikkonen, in terms of pure talent, he is ensuring he finished every race and also seems to be a strong contender. Which leads us to yesterday's winner - Kubica.
Kubica's crash last year at Canada was the most terrifying crash witnessed after a long time, and for him to bounce back like this shows enormous courage and determination. He was dominated by his team-mate last year but this year is easily the 'Number One' driver in the team, deservingly so. He has been consistently finishing in the points an taking complete advantage of his rivals mistakes. We have seen in the past few years that in order to win a championship you have to be consistent. Alonso also mentioned at the end of last year that the driver of team that wins the championship is the one that has most points - not most wins, not most fastest laps and definitely not most crashes.
Hamilton and Raikkonen will have to pull up their socks now, as will their team-mates if they want to have any chance of winning the championship. Could Kubica be counted as a serious championship contender now? Seems unlikely but this guy seems to be something special so I would think ten times before discounting him..
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