Tag Archives: fernando alonso

Formula One Championship going to the wire

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Fernando Alonso

Likely champion...but not this week

The Brazilian Grand Prix is the penultimate race of the season but there’s not suggestion that it’s going to offer up a Formula One champion. No, this season is going to the wire in Abu Dhabi.

Qualifying is just about to get under way at Interlagos in wet conditions with championship leader Alonso hoping to start on pole ahead of possible title challengers Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button. In reality, the only drivers in with a real shout are Webber on Hamilton, going off form and reliability so far this season. However, this is Formula One and anything could happen – Button could win both races and if those ahead of him fail to finish high enough he could end up retaining his World Championship.

The title is in Alonso’s hands with a first, second or third finish capable of handing him the title depending on the positions of his rivals. This, from the BBC Sport website, explains the title situation right now:

  • If Alonso wins in Brazil, he will be champion unless Webber is higher than fourth
  • If Alonso is second, he will be champion unless Webber is higher than eighth, Hamilton higher than fourth or Vettel wins
  • If Alonso is third, he will be champion unless Webber finishes in the top 10, Hamilton in the top four and Vettel in the top three
  • If Alonso does not finish on the podium, it will go to Abu Dhabi
  • Button can only stay in contention if he finishes first or second but is out if Alonso finishes in the top six or if Webber is in the top two
  • Vettel must beat Alonso on track to stay in contention

As you can see, Alonso remains favourite but the chances of him wrapping up the title this weekend are unlikely. Possible, but unlikely. That Alonso will end up winning the Formula One championship, however, seems to me to be a near certainty. I feel he will gain a podium finish in Brazil but Webber and Hamilton will do enough to remain in contention. The rest will fall by the wayside so we’ll have a three-way shoot out in Abu Dhabi.

What a race that will be if it proves to be the case. Looking forward to that far more than this weekend. After such an exciting season, which has seen eight changes at the top of the title table – a record – it will be quite disappointing if the race was settled tomorrow. It should go to the last race, it’s fitting.

I tipped Alonso for the title a few weeks back on our Facebook page and I’m not changing my mind. Still, as an Englishman I would love to see Hamilton regain the title or even, by a miracle, Button retain it!

Who do you think will win and who do you want to win?

Formula One Championship race taking shape

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McLarenFollowing the Singapore Grand Prix, in which he crashed out when colliding with title rival and Red Bull driver Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton all but gave up the Formula One championship. It’s two races now since Hamilton has posted any points and he’s slipped to third behind Webber Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Webber.

“Twenty points is a massive gap with four races to go. I have to hope for something,” Hamilton told BBC Sport. The way Alonso is going at the moment though, he’s unlikely to get it. The Spaniard has now won three of the last five races following his victory in Singapore and sits just 11 points behind Webber.

Hamilton is now 20 points behind, Sebastian Vettel 21 points back and Jenson Button 25 points adrift. All are still in with a shout of clinching the Drivers’ Championship but the momentum is definitely with Alonso. He himself has claimed he’s in top form and is going to chase it right to the end – which is exactly how it could work out in this, the most exciting of Formula One seasons in a long time.

“Right now, at this point of the championship, I’m at a peak – 100% motivated, focused etc…It feels like the championship is starting now, so I feel very happy we will be going to Japan next race.”

Fernando Alonso

Webber still has the title in his hands. Consistent podium finishes will see him home to his first Championship but if he slips, Alonso is ready. For the rest they need a miracle – or rather a disaster for Webber and Alonso with only four races remaining.

It’s a wonder Alonso has forced himself into contention in the Ferrari which his team mate Massa has struggled with all season. There’s no question Red Bull have the quickest car but Ferrari have worked hard on their vehicle and it’s reaping its rewards now.

McLaren haven’t had it easy with the hardware and their drivers are only in with a shout because they are the best two out on the track this season. If Hamilton and Button were driving for Red Bull this would have been a two horse race between them, wth the rest way behind.

As we all know though, it’s the combination of car and driver that matters and McLaren haven’t been good enough. I don’t think either of the drivers will get a sniff of a victory between now and the end of the season.

If Ferrari retain their recent consistency I’m tipping Alonso to snatch the title from Webber. If not, Webber will take it home. It really is a case of who blinks first loses here and I’m thoroughly enjoying the way this season is playing out.

Who is your pick to lift the title in Abu Dhabi?

Ferrari should have been disqualified from German GP

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Alonso and MassaRules are rules but Ferrari’s power within Formula One told as they were issued with only a fine for deliberately breaking Rule 39.1, which states that team orders which interfere with a race result are prohibited, during the German Grand Prix this weekend.

The Italian team had set out at the weekend to make a statement and get back into the championship race and to be fair to them they did just that, leading the majority of the race through Massa with Alonso second.

However, it became clear that Alonso was marginally quicker than his team mate and with Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel threatening to challenge for the lead Ferrari took the decision to ‘hint’ to their drivers that Alonso should be allowed through to prevent a proper race between the two drivers.

“Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm you understand?”

Those were the words of Ferrari’s race engineer Rob Smedley to Massa and moments later the Brazilian allowed Alonso through – as clear a case of team orders as there can be. That was confirmed when the Ferrari team were punished post-race with a trifling £100,000 fine.

Guilty as charged then, but it’s the level of punishment I’m taking issue with here. Rule 39.1 was put in place to prevent just this sort of thing and to give the F1 audience proper racing up front. Both McLaren and Red Bull have allowed their drivers to fight it out for the lead this season and Ferrari should have done the same.

Instead they cheated, pure and simple. It would have been fantastic viewing to watch Alonso and Massa battle each other and it could also have allowed Vettel to get involved too, serving up a three way fight for the victory. Who wouldn’t want to see that?

Ferrari robbed us all of that chance and as such should have had both drivers disqualified. It may have been unsatisfactory, but so was what happened. It would also have sent a clear message to the other teams that team orders will not be tolerated.

Eddie Jordan was apoplectic with what happened, as you would expect from the fiery Irishman.

“It was unlawful and was theft. They stole from us the chance of having a wheel-to-wheel contest between the drivers. Ferrari should be ashamed. This was a team order. For me, it is cheating and these two cars should be excluded.”

Strong but fair words in my opinion, and it’s rare I agree with Jordan. This is potentially the best F1 season in a very long time. Ferrari – and a weak willed FIA – have put that at risk by inferring you can get away with only a small fine if you want to cheat. It’s outrageous and the precedent set will not discourage team orders being used in the future.

Not that I’m surprised. As I said, Ferrari have a lot of power in Formula One and they put it to good use here, forcing their way back into contention for the championships through very underhand tactics. I can only hope Red Bull and McLaren reinstate their dominance so far this season and ensure Ferrari have had their moment of ‘glory’ for this year.

Damon Hill says Button-Lewis partnership could boil over at British GP

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This weekend sees the Formula One roadshow visit Silverstone for the British Grand Prix and former world champion Damon Hill reckons it could be the event during which the so far amicable relationship between McLaren drivers (and Englishmen) Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button finally begin to fracture.

Button-Hamilton rivalry to boil over

He may have a point. Both drivers are vying for the Formula One title, both drivers have won it and both drivers will want desperately to win their home Grand Prix.

Not only that, Red Bull have reapplied pressure by winning the last race in Valencia, Sebastien Vettel pipping both McLaren drivers to the chequered flag.

You’ll also remember the Turkish Grand Prix, in which Button and Hamilton fought for the win, Button overtaking his team mate before Hamilton retook the lead for the win. There was confusion over orders given to Hamilton to preserve fuel, allowing Button to overtake which added to the mounting tension.

Hill reckons all this, plus that desire to win the home race could finally boil over on the track.

“Jenson will not be letting Lewis get away with anything. Your closest most significant competitor is your team-mate and when you’ve got a team-mate as good as Jenson then it’s not a foregone conclusion.

“I know Lewis has the mindset of a driver who sees the normal state of affairs as him being first, which is great, and that’s what you’d expect but perhaps Jenson is a little bit more opportunistic and slightly more mature and realistic about things.

“This could be the start of the rest of the season [for the McLaren relationship].

“Traditionally Silverstone [is] smack in the middle of the summer, smack in the middle of the season, the preliminaries are over and from now on the clock is definitely ticking.

“There is only room for one guy.”

The interesting question is who McLaren want that one guy to be. Publicly they have stated they will let their drivers race for the right to be world champion, but privately they will be wary of an on-track war ruining either the chances of both drivers – not to mention McLaren’s own push for the Constructors Championship.

Red Bull, whose drivers have slipped back to third and fourth in the championship race and trail McLaren by 30 points in the Constructors race, will be hoping that is exactly what happens. Both Vettel and Mark Webber are still well in touch with the British drivers and even Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who trails Hamilton by 29 points, remains in with a shout of the title.

For the good of Formula One I hope Hamilton and Button are allowed to battle it out but they do it sensibly. A return to the heady days of Prost and Senna going head to head for McLaren would fantastic. That it’s a five way battle for the Drivers Championship only adds to the excitement.

Should be a cracking weekend.

As an aside, an interesting question was raised on our Facebook page about who the best driver in Formula One is – I went with Lewis Hamilton, as in my opinion he is the most naturally gifted out there. Mike Shaw disagreed, though he didn’t say who he thought was the best!

So…let’s have your opinions in the comments or on Facebook and Mike – put your money where your mouth is!

Waiting for the McLaren fireworks as Button holes another win

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Button Wins Chinese Grand Prix

Trouble brewing at McLaren? Hope so!

I used to be a big fan of Formula One, back in the Mansell, Senna and Prost days. They were characters. Yes, even Mansell with his deadpan voice.

Then the characters left the sport, just as they have in snooker, and I drifted away. Not for me the non-entity that was Damon Hill or the machine that was Michael Schumacher.

Then, over the last few of seasons, my interest was piqued again…

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