Chinese Grand Prix

Chinese Grand Prix
Shanghai
Sunday 19 October 2008

Track: 5.45 km
Laps: 56


Qualifying:
All week there has been a build up, perhaps sparked by the media but not so far denied, of animosity towards Lewis Hamilton from other top Formula 1 drivers. The situation has surfaced following Fernando Alonso’s comments that “without doubt, if I can help, I will help” to support Felipe Massa’s bid for the championship. Massa is being diplomatic, saying only: “I am not going to take problems on the track off it”. Team mate Kimi Raikkonen however, is a little more explicit. Referring to last weekend’s first corner clash with Hamilton and Kovaleinen, he said: "I have no idea what the drivers behind me were thinking. They braked so late that it was impossible to avoid the following chaos." Robert Kubica (Sauber BMW), who is currently lying third in the Championship says that Hamilton is too aggressive.

This could be just sour grapes from those who have been out-raced and out-manoeuvred by the British driver but it certainly didn’t stop Hamilton from pulling out another storming qualifier to take pole position for tomorrow’s race. As he said before the qualifying session: “I do my talking on the track. If other people want to expend their energy thinking about it, that’s for them.”

Hamilton will have the Ferraris of Raikkonen and Massa on his tail from the start tomorrow. Behind them will be Alonso who, after recent remarks, will no doubt be closely watched by the stewards! Heikki Kovaleinen (McLaren) is ahead of Sebastian Vettel(Toro Rosso), who has already shown that he is capable of upsetting the leaders at the slightest chance. In seventh is Jarno Trulli (Toyota), followed by Sebastian Bourdais (Toro Rosso) and Nick Heidfeld (Sauber BMW), who qualified sixth but was penalised for slowing David Coulthard. Mark Webber

By this time last year, Hamilton had scored 107 points and was 12 points clear of team-mate Alonso. This year, with a far slimmer margin, we are seeing a far more polished driver who should be better able to deliver results.

The forecast? There is a chance of showers during the race which starts at 08.00
and can be seen (in Catalan) on TV3. A repeat is usually shown on CH33 at 22.00.

The grid line-up:
1 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2 Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari)
3 Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
4 Fernando Alonso (Renault)
5 Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren)
6 Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso)
7 Jarno Trulli (Toyota)
8 Sebastian Bourdais (Toro Rosso)
9 Nick Heidfeld (Sauber BMW)
10 Nelsinho Piquet (Renault)


Top six after 16 races:
1 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 84
2 Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 79
3 Robert Kubica (Sauber BMW) 72
4 Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) 63
5 Nick Heidfeld (Sauber BMW) 56
6 Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren) 51

Mike O’Neill

Formula 1 Night Race - Singapore

Singapore Grand Prix
Sunday 28 September 2008

Track: 5.067 km

Laps: 61

Qualifying:
With just one point separating the world championship leaders, today’s practise on a new street track was always going to be tense. This tension was increased by having to qualify under floodlights. The Singapore circuit will see the first ever Formula 1 night race, which gets under way at 20.00 local time.

Felipe Massa gained a psychological advantage by qualifying over half a second faster than Lewis Hamilton but this may have been achieved with a significantly lighter fuel load. This will make Ferrari’s pit stop strategy even more critical than usual. Massa later said: “The track is very difficult and requires total concentration lap after lap because there is no room for error: it's much harder here than in Monaco”. Kimi Raikkonen in the other Ferrari qualified third, with Robert Kubica (Sauber BMW) fourth. Heikki Kovaleinen (McLaren) finds himself sandwiched between the two Sauber BMWs, having Nick Heidfeld behind him in sixth place. Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso), who won his first Grand Prix at Monza earlier this month, starts seventh with Timo Glock (Toyota) eighth. The two Williams drivers are ninth and tenth, giving Kazuki Nakajima his first ever top ten start.

Fernando Alonso failed to get into the top 10 after several promising runs in practice. His Renault engine cut out during the second qualifying session, which means he will start in 15th place.

The forecast? Thundery rain is expected but when and how much is still undecided. The race starts at 14.00 (or 20.00 if you happen to be in Singapore!)

The grid line-up:
1 Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
2 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
3 Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari)
4 Robert Kubica (Sauber BMW)
5 Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren)
6 Nick Heidfeld (Sauber BMW)
7 Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso)
8 Timo Glock (Toyota)
9 Nico Rosberg (Williams)
10 Kazuki Nakajima (Williams)

Top six after 14 races:
1 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 78
2 Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 77
3 Robert Kubica (Sauber BMW) 64
4 Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) 57
5 Nick Heidfeld (Sauber BMW) 53
6 Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren) 51

Formula One Grand Prix - Surprises at Hungary

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)
2 Timo Glock (Toyota)
3 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
4 Fernando Alonso (Renault)
5 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
6 Nelsinho Piquet (Renault)


After 11 races, the leader board looks like this:

Drivers:
1 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 62
2 Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) 57
3 Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 54
4 Robert Kubica (Sauber BMW) 49
5 Nick Heidfeld (Sauber BMW) 41
6 Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren) 38
7 Jarno Trulli (Toyota) 22
8 Fernando Alonso (Renault) 18
9 Mark Webber (Red Bull) 18
10 Timo Glock (Toyota) 13
11 Nelsinho Piquet (Renault) 13

Teams:
1 Ferrari 111
2 McLaren 100
3 BMW Sauber 90
4 Toyota 35
5 Renault 31

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.

Formula One Silverstone

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.

Formula 1

The expected rains turned qualifying for grid position into something of a lottery today. Heikki Kovaleinen’s fastest lap was set during a brief lull amidst blustery cross-winds and showers and claiming his first ever pole position. Mark Webber gives Red Bull their first taste of front-row starting, later saying his run was with a very light fuel load. Kimi Raikkonen will remind himself that a) there have only been 2 winners from pole at Silverstone in the past 10 years and b) he won here last year! Lewis Hamilton was fast but a couple of errors cost him a higher grid position. Fernando Alonso must wish he had a faster car but his knowledge of this track will ensure he makes the best of it. Felipe Massa may still be feeling the effects of his 190mph smash on Friday. With his overall points rival Robert Kubica alongside him in 10th, Massa will at least start in good company.


The grid line-up:

1 Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren) 

2 Mark Webber (Red Bull) 

3 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

4 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 

5 Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) 

6 Fernando Alonso (Renault)

7 Nelson Piquet (Renault) 

8 Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso) 

9 Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 

10 Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber)

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