The Formula One “circus” reached the city of Singapore to witness the city stage its very first F1 race which also happens to be the first ever night race in F1’s history. Yes you read that right, it was a night race as in all cars went round in circles under flood lights. The entire track was illuminated to such an extent that it almost felt like daytime. The tarmac was smooth and the background was delicious, none of the teams knew what to expect.
Sorry again for a delayed review as if its become a custom lately. I’ve my set of genuine reasons or excuses, tough. As usual, I was busy with some personal work and my internet connection stopped working all of a sudden. The connection was off for an entire week due to a fibre optic failure, as informed by my ISP. Anyway, let’s start with the review for Turkish Grand Prix 2008. We had a fair idea of what the result was going to be like but Felipe Massa opted to throw in a early warning to his rivals. Ferrari and McLaren both looked in good touch.
Every team arrived in Australia without knowing what to expect but determined to give their very best in the season opener. This, afterall, could lay the foundation on which the teams will progress throughout the rest of the season. This season is a big one in itself and with 17 races to go after this, everyone was sure of wiping out the incompetencies, if any. This one was set to break many illusions developed during the winter testing but a failure here in no way means the end of the world.
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.