A new year and a new season of championship is all set to begin this weekend. The expectations are at an all time high and a high dose of excitement is guaranteed. There are many changes from last year both in terms of technicalities and personalities. We’ve witnessed quite a few rule changes announced by the FIA as well as a number of drivers switching teams. To add to it, there are also a few new drivers and a newly acquired team, Force India.
The Brazilian Grand Prix was always going to be exciting as all three title contenders were still in hunt for the ultimate prize this season. Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton of McLaren & Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari were all set to go for one final time this season in an attempt to snatch the coveted driver’s championship title. Kimi had the most difficult of jobs, still 7 points behind the leader going into the last race while Lewis seemed only a few points away from becoming the first ever rookie world champion.
When we reached the Chinese Grand Prix 2007, the 16th race of a 17-race calendar, only three drivers were fighting for the championship. Fernando Alonso was struggling with his team-mate and most importantly, his team. Kimi Raikkonen lead all practice sessions and was clearly looking the fastest driver of the three. During the Qualifying, however, it was Lewis Hamilton who took the pole much to McLaren’s delight. Kimi had to settle for P2 on the grid with Massa on P3 and Alonso on P4.
Once again I apologize for a very very delayed review of Belgian Grand Prix 2007. In fact, I could have done without posting this review at all but decided in its favor for the sake of completeness. I won’t go into much details this time but will try and touch upon only the significant race highlights. Spa-Francorchamps is, without a doubt, the most picturesque track in the entire calendar and is famous for its history. The 7.004 km track is back after a year’s absence and corners like Blanchimont, Eau Rouge and La Source makes it an absolute classic.
The result of Italian Grand Prix 2007 was somewhat obvious from the time McLaren imposed their strong presence during Friday Practice. McLaren devastated their rivals with their superb pace. Not much changed during the Qualifying as McLaren drivers quite easily snatched the first row of the Monza grid with Alonso on pole position. For Ferrari, Massa was third on grid and Kimi turned up a disappointing 5th after a horrific crash earlier in the day.
The Turkish Grand Prix 2007 was held after a break of three weeks. With both the championships delicately poised for the championship rivals, it was indeed an impatient period of F1 inactivity for the fans. The 5.3km long Istanbul Park is considered by many to be a masterpiece in modern F1 era and the awesome Turn 8 presents a delightful spectacle for the sport lovers. Its a true test for the drivers and their machinery alike.
The Hungarian Grand Prix 2007 was more in news due to its qualifying incidents than the race itself. The race, as expected, was a boring affair. Lewis Hamilton of McLaren lead the procession from first to last and ended up with another victory for him and his team. What happened before that was simply unimaginable and McLaren boss Ron Dennis got more than he had bargained for.
I’m here again with a short review of European Grand Prix 2007. The race in Britain was strategically the best race of the season so far. However, it has to be said that this year’s European Grand Prix was undoubtedly the better one purely from entertainment aspect. If I may add, even better than the chaotic race we witnessed in Canada. Incidentally, this was also the first time this season when rain played spoilsport. If you’re an optimist, you’d like to believe it raised the entertainment quotient a tad higher than expected. It was a win-win situation for the spectators.
Firstly, apologies for another delayed review! Kimi Raikkonen stunned the British fans by clinching his second consecutive win for Ferrari while they were expecting their local hero, Lewis to triumph. On Saturday, everything seemed to be on plan for the young Brit when he secured another pole in his short career. As the race unfolded on Sunday, it was an entirely different story, obviously, not scripted by Hamilton or McLaren. He finished the race in 3rd, his 9th consecutive podium of this season.
The French Grand Prix 2007 marked the resurgence of Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen. The flying Finn scored his first victory since Australia. Ferrari scored their first 1-2 finish after almost a year with Felipe Massa taking the second place. It throws the championship wide open yet again. The race saw both McLaren drivers struggle to match the speeds generated by Ferrari cars. Both Ferraris finished the race about 30 seconds ahead of the 3rd placed McLaren of Lewis Hamilton.