What a race it was!!

When I was introduced to Formula 1, by a certain Mr. Girish Manimaran (who I heard is doing very well in Pondicherry) I never expected it to be this addicting. I mean I have had the experience of following the Cricket World Cup, FIFA & NBA title campaigns but this was something out of the world. The glamour, technology, drama (from the 2007 season), suspense & talent that surrounds Formula 1 is ever intriguing.

From the moment I got interested, Kimi Raikkonen has impressed me with his sheer talent. I mean he came close to winning the title twice and was hampered only by the lack of reliability in the then McLaren cars. The flying Finn wasn’t quite satisfied with the team and quit McLaren to join Ferrari at the end of the 2006 Season. Neither the decision, nor the transition was easy – he was not only shifting from a professional racing team to a team that races on its emotions, but he faced the bigger challenge of stepping into Micheal Schumacher’s shoes, which doesn’t fit most humans. He started tentatively, growing in confidence & stature as the season progressed. Nevertheless, no one would have given him a thought as the title fight entered the last stage. He was a title contender only in the figurative sense. But finally, his day had to arrive sometime and when it did, it did so with a bang – a bang that exploded right on the face of McLaren’s face. Raikkonen, by winning the title has scripted a fairy tale – a tale that would forever remind people to never give up hope.

It isn’t over yet. No, a Formula 1 title, especially in a season more famous for its off track scandals can never be over that easily. Raikkonen may have beaten the other title contenders – Fernando Alonso & Lewis Hamilton – fair & square on track but then not everything is black or white. The BMW Sauber & Williams cars were found to have fuel at lower temperatures than the prescribed limits – this has led to McLaren demanding the disqualification of Nico Rosberg, Nick Heidfeld & Robert Kubica, all finished ahead the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton. If they are disqualified, the Driver’s Champion title would eventually fall on Lewis Hamilton – he would amass enough points to beat Kimi. The demand in itself is questionable – especially coming from McLaren who argued quite successfully that the drivers must not be punished for a team’s mistake during the spygate hearings.

Ferrari have finished the 2007 season on high. Their takeaways from the season are very good; the driver & constructor world championships, two great drivers who are very friendly & support each other, public support, good money as a result of their titles, a positive frame of mind & above all, momentum. They need to focus and carry this momentum into the 2008 season – there are several small gaps they need to address & plug if they want to repeat the performance next season.

What do McLaren take away from this season? A brash young driver, a disgruntled former two-time world champion whose future with the team is under the scanner, demotivated crew and a fine of $100 million. Also, every positive of the rival happens to be a negative.

It is for everyone to see that either Mr. Ron Dennis or Alonso have to leave – Ron, being the owner won’t. So in the best interests of both McLaren & Alonso, it is better that Alonso leaves. Any team except Ferrari would be glad to have him in their cars – however, he needs to get his team numero uno status confirmed & contracted this time around.

On a more serious note, I see McLaren performing poorly on the mechanical front whilst Raikkonen’s term there – however, they have improved immensely with Alonso’s entry. Does it mean that the former world champion has the formula to build a successful car? If yes, how will McLaren fare once he leaves them? Meanwhile, Kimi has done a wonderful job at Ferrari too – meaning his expertise when with McLaren wasn’t exploited properly?

They questions are many but the answers will flow only when the party stops. But for all the hardwork these guys put in, they have earned their holidays.