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I have decided to move to the blog to Tumblr for a number of reasons.... The main one being it is a lot easier to work with and it looks a lot prettier ;)
All the posts from this one have been moved to Tumblr and the news one will appear there. Simply click the link above and you shall be redirected. It's like magic
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
The Return of the Iceman
There has been speculation about the return of Kimi Raikkonen ever since he announced he was leaving Formula 1. Kimi left at the end of the 2009 season to pursue a career in rallying. Whilst he has had some success it is questionable whether it has fulfilled it's promise to him. Kimi has been a rally fan for many years and the thought of joining the sport had been around for years. This was helped, no doubt, by the sport not having as big a corporate following as Formula 1. Kimi has not hidden his distaste of the corporate side of F1 and in particular it's dealings with the press. Who can forget the monosyllabic press conferences that he has partaken in?
If you remove the press and corporate side of F1 you will see a great sport and one that still lures Kimi to it. Is it his taste for speed or just the sheer adrenaline rush of it all? Who knows. What I do know is that Kimi is one of the most naturally gifted drivers to ever grace the Formula 1 scene.
Outside of the sport Kimi has been portrayed as a drunken womaniser but is this the real man or where these just cases of Kimi letting his hair down? I would lean towards the latter. Let's not forget that this was the man that once went out dressed as a gorilla just to get a little privacy. It does make you wonder why a man, or group of men, dressed as gorilla garners less attention than a Formula 1 driver? Odd in my eyes.
Kimi loves his outdoor sports and hates attending corporate events. So why is he contemplating a return to what is arguably the most corporate sport in the world? Does he miss it that much?
A question on many lips is if he does return who will he drive for? Renault are the best option for him at the minute. They currently have a less than ideal driver pairing in Robert Kubica and a under performing Vitaly Petrov. Renault lack the direction, and results, they had during Fernando Alonso's first stint with them. This was the man that brought them 2 championships. Is Kubica the man to bring them the same kind of success? Can he do it with Petrov as his teammate? I doubt it. Could a pairing of Kimi and Robert give Renault what they crave? Possibly. It all depends on what Kimi and Renault want from the pairing and how long it could potentially last.
Two things are 'for sure': 1) a lot of fans want Kimi back in the sport and 2) it can't be any worse than Schumacher's return to the sport.
What are your thoughts on the potential return of the Iceman?
If you remove the press and corporate side of F1 you will see a great sport and one that still lures Kimi to it. Is it his taste for speed or just the sheer adrenaline rush of it all? Who knows. What I do know is that Kimi is one of the most naturally gifted drivers to ever grace the Formula 1 scene.
Outside of the sport Kimi has been portrayed as a drunken womaniser but is this the real man or where these just cases of Kimi letting his hair down? I would lean towards the latter. Let's not forget that this was the man that once went out dressed as a gorilla just to get a little privacy. It does make you wonder why a man, or group of men, dressed as gorilla garners less attention than a Formula 1 driver? Odd in my eyes.
Kimi loves his outdoor sports and hates attending corporate events. So why is he contemplating a return to what is arguably the most corporate sport in the world? Does he miss it that much?
A question on many lips is if he does return who will he drive for? Renault are the best option for him at the minute. They currently have a less than ideal driver pairing in Robert Kubica and a under performing Vitaly Petrov. Renault lack the direction, and results, they had during Fernando Alonso's first stint with them. This was the man that brought them 2 championships. Is Kubica the man to bring them the same kind of success? Can he do it with Petrov as his teammate? I doubt it. Could a pairing of Kimi and Robert give Renault what they crave? Possibly. It all depends on what Kimi and Renault want from the pairing and how long it could potentially last.
Two things are 'for sure': 1) a lot of fans want Kimi back in the sport and 2) it can't be any worse than Schumacher's return to the sport.
What are your thoughts on the potential return of the Iceman?
Monday, 27 September 2010
Has Lewis blown his chances?
A lot is being said about Lewis' chances of winning the championship this season. A few races ago he was being touted as being one of the favourites to win this year's title. However a lot has changed over the last few races. Let's look at the last 5 races to try and get a feel of why people have changed their minds so drastically.
Germany - Qualified 6th - Race Result 4th
Hungary - Qualified 5th - Race Result - DNF (Gearbox)
Belgium - Qualified 2nd - Race Result 1st
Italy - Qualified 5th - Race Result DNF (incident with Massa)
Singapore - Qualified 3rd - Race Result DNF (incident with Webber)
So out of a possible 125 points he has walked away with 37. Not a great conversion rate I think you'll agree. So what is going wrong with him in the second half of the season? Is he fighting too hard on track or has he become a little too laid back and not thinking about what he is doing? Or is it that he has simply had a run of bad luck?
I personally think it is a mix between him making desperate moves and also a bit of bad luck. When it goes bad for Lewis it goes really bad. He needs to stop making such desperate overtaking moves. Lewis has made some great overtaking moves in the past and he is the latest of the late brakers. He takes chances when others won't and unfortunately they don't always work out for him, as the last 2 races have shown. He seems to have lost a certain 'polish' that he has shown in previous seasons.
Is this a knock on effect of not having his dad and Ron by his side? It is interesting to note that Ron is attending more races this season. Could this be a McLaren tactic? Lewis has no manager at the moment and has made some questionable decisions both on and off the track. Could Ron being present be helping Lewis to reign in his behaviour and make him think about what he is doing more? Who knows.
What is certain is that Lewis needs to convert his qualifying results into race results and points. 1 more DNF and his chances will be over this season and McLaren will have no choice but to back Button for the title. He is down but not out, yet.
Sunday, 12 September 2010
5 Drivers – 1 Title – Who Will be Champion? - Pt 5
So here it is the final post of the series. So far I have covered 4 of the top 5 drivers in contention for this years title. Links to the previous posts can be found at the end of this post.
It is therefore time to cover the one and only Australian on the grid, Mark Webber. Mark is one of the drivers on the grid who never fails to wear his heart on his sleeve and because of this he has endeared himself in the hearts of many an F1 fan, myself included. Let's also not forget that this is the man that broke his leg before the start of the 2009 season. The grit and determination he showed throughout his recovery earned him major points in my eyes. This year has proven that given a good car he is more than capable of fighting for race wins and the championship. This is something he was never quite able to do in previous years.
This year Red Bull have a car so dominant that it has left the other teams scratching their heads on how they are achieving this. The car just seems to stick to the track due to the amount of sheer downforce it has. I don't think there is a track yet this season where it has not done a good job. The car is more than capable of taking Webber to the title but does Webber have the ability to take the car there. The signs are all there.
Despite the controversy that has surrounded Red Bull and the constant rumours of Vettel being the #1 driver for the team Webber has kept his head down and worked his backside off to try and get the best from the car and the team. Who can forget the shenanigans of the British GP this season? Webber displayed his frustration at Vettel receiving what many perceived as preferential treatment. However, he was able to get in the car on the Sunday and drive a superb race. He even ended it with a bit of comedy to lighten the mood at Red Bull - "not bad for a number 2 driver" came the message across the radio when he won).
He has proven he can drive the car and deal with the pressure but is he capable of producing the moments of genius that the likes of Vettel and Hamilton can? I'm not so sure. However, just by being consistent he is in with a damn good shot of taking the title. It really is his to lose in my eyes. He just has to ensure he keeps the two younger drivers in his mirrors at all times.
So what are your thoughts on the Top 5 drivers? Who will take the title this year? Who deserves the title this year? Let me know in the comments section below. May I also take a moment to say thank you for the lovely comments I am receiving both on here and on twitter in response to my posts :)
Post #1 Jenson Button,
Post #2 Fernando Alonso,
Post #3 Sebastian Vettel
Post #4 Lewis Hamilton.
It is therefore time to cover the one and only Australian on the grid, Mark Webber. Mark is one of the drivers on the grid who never fails to wear his heart on his sleeve and because of this he has endeared himself in the hearts of many an F1 fan, myself included. Let's also not forget that this is the man that broke his leg before the start of the 2009 season. The grit and determination he showed throughout his recovery earned him major points in my eyes. This year has proven that given a good car he is more than capable of fighting for race wins and the championship. This is something he was never quite able to do in previous years.
This year Red Bull have a car so dominant that it has left the other teams scratching their heads on how they are achieving this. The car just seems to stick to the track due to the amount of sheer downforce it has. I don't think there is a track yet this season where it has not done a good job. The car is more than capable of taking Webber to the title but does Webber have the ability to take the car there. The signs are all there.
Despite the controversy that has surrounded Red Bull and the constant rumours of Vettel being the #1 driver for the team Webber has kept his head down and worked his backside off to try and get the best from the car and the team. Who can forget the shenanigans of the British GP this season? Webber displayed his frustration at Vettel receiving what many perceived as preferential treatment. However, he was able to get in the car on the Sunday and drive a superb race. He even ended it with a bit of comedy to lighten the mood at Red Bull - "not bad for a number 2 driver" came the message across the radio when he won).
He has proven he can drive the car and deal with the pressure but is he capable of producing the moments of genius that the likes of Vettel and Hamilton can? I'm not so sure. However, just by being consistent he is in with a damn good shot of taking the title. It really is his to lose in my eyes. He just has to ensure he keeps the two younger drivers in his mirrors at all times.
So what are your thoughts on the Top 5 drivers? Who will take the title this year? Who deserves the title this year? Let me know in the comments section below. May I also take a moment to say thank you for the lovely comments I am receiving both on here and on twitter in response to my posts :)
Post #1 Jenson Button,
Post #2 Fernando Alonso,
Post #3 Sebastian Vettel
Post #4 Lewis Hamilton.
5 Drivers – 1 Title – Who Will be Champion? - Pt 4
Part 4 is all about Lewis Hamilton
So can the 2008 champion become the 2010 champion? This year he has shown an incredible maturity on the track when compared to previous years. He seems to let the races come to him instead of chasing them down. This doesn't mean he sits back and doesn't race. He still races his proverbial off and in many areas I think he is one of the top three drivers in the sport at the minute. He is an out and out racer.
This year has seen McLaren provide both Jenson and Lewis with a car that has the ability to help them win both driver and constructor titles. This is in contrast to the dog of a car that McLaren produced last year. The innovative 'F-Duct' has helped a mediocre car become a pretty good car. The main downside of the car this year is its lack of downforce in comparison to its rivals, namely the Red Bull.
This year has seen the biggest changes in Hamilton's life. He has broken away from his father and manager Anthony Hamilton. This is alongside breaking up and then making up with his girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger. All off this would have taken its toll on the 25 year old. However the 'hooning' incident in Australia has, by some, been held against him. Here's my take on the incident: He was a 25 year old having fun. Was he ever out of control in the car? No. Was he seen doing excessive speeds on a public road? No. So what was so bad about him doing a couple of burnouts? In my eyes, nothing at all. He was simply having fun and putting on a bit of a show for the fans present at the time. Poor judgement on the part of McLaren though in my opinion as he had team personnel with him at all times during the incident and they never warned him about the potential fall out of his actions. But it could be argued why should they?
Either way Lewis has become an accomplished racer who tends to wear his heart on his sleeve. Does he have what it takes to win the championship this season? Well all the ingredients are there. A good car, a disciplined approach, more freedom in his personal life and above anything else a more mature racer.
Part 1 - Jenson Button
Part 2 - Fernando Alonso
Part 3 - Sebastian Vettel
So can the 2008 champion become the 2010 champion? This year he has shown an incredible maturity on the track when compared to previous years. He seems to let the races come to him instead of chasing them down. This doesn't mean he sits back and doesn't race. He still races his proverbial off and in many areas I think he is one of the top three drivers in the sport at the minute. He is an out and out racer.
This year has seen McLaren provide both Jenson and Lewis with a car that has the ability to help them win both driver and constructor titles. This is in contrast to the dog of a car that McLaren produced last year. The innovative 'F-Duct' has helped a mediocre car become a pretty good car. The main downside of the car this year is its lack of downforce in comparison to its rivals, namely the Red Bull.
This year has seen the biggest changes in Hamilton's life. He has broken away from his father and manager Anthony Hamilton. This is alongside breaking up and then making up with his girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger. All off this would have taken its toll on the 25 year old. However the 'hooning' incident in Australia has, by some, been held against him. Here's my take on the incident: He was a 25 year old having fun. Was he ever out of control in the car? No. Was he seen doing excessive speeds on a public road? No. So what was so bad about him doing a couple of burnouts? In my eyes, nothing at all. He was simply having fun and putting on a bit of a show for the fans present at the time. Poor judgement on the part of McLaren though in my opinion as he had team personnel with him at all times during the incident and they never warned him about the potential fall out of his actions. But it could be argued why should they?
Either way Lewis has become an accomplished racer who tends to wear his heart on his sleeve. Does he have what it takes to win the championship this season? Well all the ingredients are there. A good car, a disciplined approach, more freedom in his personal life and above anything else a more mature racer.
Part 1 - Jenson Button
Part 2 - Fernando Alonso
Part 3 - Sebastian Vettel
Saturday, 11 September 2010
5 Drivers – 1 Title – Who Will be Champion? - Pt 3
Next up is the young gun Sebastian Vettel.
Now we all know Seb as the speed king but what are his chances of winning the title this season? If recent form is anything to go by he won't win it. This is not through lack of trying but actually the opposite. He is trying too hard to win. He just needs to relax a little and let the race, and ultimately the wins, come to him. In this respect he reminds me of Lewis Hamilton in his first two seasons. Lewis sometimes got a little hot under the collar and tried just that little bit too much to prove to the world that he was capable of winning. What both Lewis and Sebastian fail to understand is that to the F1 fan they are more than capable of winning based on their driving skills. But they need to hone their race craft and realise when they need to fight and when they need to back off and let the race come to them. Lewis has done this fantastically over the last two seasons but more on that in the next post. This is about Sebastian Vettel.
Sebastian has been known to be called 'Little Schumi' and other variations on the theme. Whilst he does seem the natural successor to Schumacher for the Germans and the sporting world are we perhaps heaping a little too much pressure on him? The English are renowned for placing too much pressure on its sporting heroes. Just look at the pressure we put on the national football team when a big competition rolls around.
Although the general public may be guilty of heaping the pressure on Vettel perhaps he is his own worst enemy. He seems to be feeling the pressure this season, more so than in previous seasons. The media are constantly reporting that Vettel is the favoured driver at Red Bull and perhaps Sebastian is starting to feel the pressure this perceived favourtism. If he feels he is the favourite surely he should be able to bring home the title and beat his team mate and yet Webber is holding on and starting to edge ahead of him. Will this season show the flaws in Sebastian Vettel's character and ultimately his driving? Only time will tell.
In terms of him winning the title this season... Personally I think he will be lucky to inherit the title from Webber or Hamilton.
Part 1 - Jenson Button
Part 2 - Fernando Alonso
Now we all know Seb as the speed king but what are his chances of winning the title this season? If recent form is anything to go by he won't win it. This is not through lack of trying but actually the opposite. He is trying too hard to win. He just needs to relax a little and let the race, and ultimately the wins, come to him. In this respect he reminds me of Lewis Hamilton in his first two seasons. Lewis sometimes got a little hot under the collar and tried just that little bit too much to prove to the world that he was capable of winning. What both Lewis and Sebastian fail to understand is that to the F1 fan they are more than capable of winning based on their driving skills. But they need to hone their race craft and realise when they need to fight and when they need to back off and let the race come to them. Lewis has done this fantastically over the last two seasons but more on that in the next post. This is about Sebastian Vettel.
Sebastian has been known to be called 'Little Schumi' and other variations on the theme. Whilst he does seem the natural successor to Schumacher for the Germans and the sporting world are we perhaps heaping a little too much pressure on him? The English are renowned for placing too much pressure on its sporting heroes. Just look at the pressure we put on the national football team when a big competition rolls around.
Although the general public may be guilty of heaping the pressure on Vettel perhaps he is his own worst enemy. He seems to be feeling the pressure this season, more so than in previous seasons. The media are constantly reporting that Vettel is the favoured driver at Red Bull and perhaps Sebastian is starting to feel the pressure this perceived favourtism. If he feels he is the favourite surely he should be able to bring home the title and beat his team mate and yet Webber is holding on and starting to edge ahead of him. Will this season show the flaws in Sebastian Vettel's character and ultimately his driving? Only time will tell.
In terms of him winning the title this season... Personally I think he will be lucky to inherit the title from Webber or Hamilton.
Part 1 - Jenson Button
Part 2 - Fernando Alonso
5 Drivers – 1 Title – Who Will be Champion? - Pt 2
Fernando Alonso is the next driver to be covered in this 5 part series.
Whatever your opinion on Alonso it is clear that he will go down in history as one of the great drivers of the era. He is a two times world champion and both titles were won during his stints at Renault. In the middle of the 2 stints at Renault was his infamous year at McLaren.
It is the year at McLaren that has done the most damage to Alonso's reputation in my opinion. He is often viewed as a cheat and a driver who likes to throw his toys out of the pram if things don't go his way. Doesn't this remind you all of a certain German driver who did all he could in order to win? I think it is important to point out the human element of the McLaren saga. Alonso had wanted to drive for Ron Dennis and ultimately McLaren since he was a little boy, much like Lewis. He went into the team hoping to impress Ron and become his number one. He just never counted on Lewis being his team mate nor Lewis having such a close bond so many of the team. Both drivers joined McLaren and achieved one of their dreams. Due to this only one driver was going to come out on top and unfortunately for Alonso this tended to be Hamilton that season. This was more due to Hamilton not having the pressure on him that Alonso had. Alonso went into the team expecting to win title number three and never achieved this. I think this will play on his mind for the foreseeable future.
Whatever happened during that year at McLaren (I don't think we will ever know the entire truth about that year) it is clear to see Alonso does have a slight problem with his team mate being faster than him. He also loves, and expects, to be the Number 1 driver in whatever team he is with. For this reason alone I think Alonso is the ideal Ferrari driver. Ultimately the pairing of Massa and Alonso are probably one of the most ideal partnerships they will have. Massa is the genuinely nice guy at the team who does what the team asks of him and Alonso is the type of driver who builds a team around him and has the ambition that will drive the team forward.
So what are the chances of this fiery driver winning his third title this season? Well this seasons car is a lot better than the Renault that he had last season so his stands a better chance this year. Although I think his best chance will come next season when he has more of a say with how the car is developed prior to the start of the season. I think next year we will start to see the cars being built around him more and more.
Unlike Jenson, Fernando can drive a car over and above its limits. This puts him in the minority of drivers on the grid. This talent also puts him in the realm of the greats. A great car plus Alonso will always be in contention for the title. This years car does not seem to be a 'great' though so somehow this year I don't see him winning as the Ferrari just doesn't seem capable of taking him to the title. Perhaps next year....
Pt 1 - Jenson Button
Whatever your opinion on Alonso it is clear that he will go down in history as one of the great drivers of the era. He is a two times world champion and both titles were won during his stints at Renault. In the middle of the 2 stints at Renault was his infamous year at McLaren.
It is the year at McLaren that has done the most damage to Alonso's reputation in my opinion. He is often viewed as a cheat and a driver who likes to throw his toys out of the pram if things don't go his way. Doesn't this remind you all of a certain German driver who did all he could in order to win? I think it is important to point out the human element of the McLaren saga. Alonso had wanted to drive for Ron Dennis and ultimately McLaren since he was a little boy, much like Lewis. He went into the team hoping to impress Ron and become his number one. He just never counted on Lewis being his team mate nor Lewis having such a close bond so many of the team. Both drivers joined McLaren and achieved one of their dreams. Due to this only one driver was going to come out on top and unfortunately for Alonso this tended to be Hamilton that season. This was more due to Hamilton not having the pressure on him that Alonso had. Alonso went into the team expecting to win title number three and never achieved this. I think this will play on his mind for the foreseeable future.
Whatever happened during that year at McLaren (I don't think we will ever know the entire truth about that year) it is clear to see Alonso does have a slight problem with his team mate being faster than him. He also loves, and expects, to be the Number 1 driver in whatever team he is with. For this reason alone I think Alonso is the ideal Ferrari driver. Ultimately the pairing of Massa and Alonso are probably one of the most ideal partnerships they will have. Massa is the genuinely nice guy at the team who does what the team asks of him and Alonso is the type of driver who builds a team around him and has the ambition that will drive the team forward.
So what are the chances of this fiery driver winning his third title this season? Well this seasons car is a lot better than the Renault that he had last season so his stands a better chance this year. Although I think his best chance will come next season when he has more of a say with how the car is developed prior to the start of the season. I think next year we will start to see the cars being built around him more and more.
Unlike Jenson, Fernando can drive a car over and above its limits. This puts him in the minority of drivers on the grid. This talent also puts him in the realm of the greats. A great car plus Alonso will always be in contention for the title. This years car does not seem to be a 'great' though so somehow this year I don't see him winning as the Ferrari just doesn't seem capable of taking him to the title. Perhaps next year....
Pt 1 - Jenson Button
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