Astounding Australia
If Fernando Alonso is crowned world champion for the second time at the end of this Formula One season, it will underline an uncomfortable fact: Michael Schumacher should have retired at the end of 2004. Instead the once peerless German is forced to suffer another ignominious racing season after the shambles that was 2005. After picking up five championship trophies in a row, Michael Schumacher got greedy. He wanted five more. Now, as we observe Alonso drive so confidently, accurately and without mistakes, we are seeing the seven times world champion making serious ones.
Running wide and then smashing his Ferrari into a wall showed that Michael Schumacher is getting badly rattled by Alonso. Something was seriously wrong with his eyes yesterday. As if crashing his car in an unforced error wasn't bad enough, he stormed off to the pits in a huff so as to walk into the comfort of his garage. The garage he walked to was covered in red paint, yes, but it had nothing to do with Ferrari. He must have thought he was hallucinating when he could not recognise anybody in the garage. Little surprise there - he was in the Toyota garage! Bad day at the office.
Another chap suffering a bad day was Juan Pablo Montoya. Embarrassingly, he managed to spin his car on the parade lap. This delayed the start and caused Giancarlo Fisichella to lose his concentration and stall at the re-start. Later JPM suffered exactly the same fate as Michael Schumacher. He ran wide and smashed his McLaren into the same wall. "Which idiot put that f***ing wall there?" is probably what he was saying when asked what had happened. Chipo didn't seem terribly bothered. I think most people accept that JPM's focus is on the season to come. His mind is probably exercised by the need to ensure that his choice of team is the right one.
The next move is almost certain to be JPM's last. Rumours of a move to Red Bull - which JPM has denied - have infuriated David Coulthard. "He has just got to shut up and get on with it," said Coulthard. "I can't comment on rumours, I can only comment on fact, and you have just got to get on with the job. I want to carry on with Red Bull next year. Obviously it is a two-way street but I have invested time and effort in my team and I would like to see the results of that," Coulthard said. JPM and Coulthard aren't exactly mates. Each has made derogatory comments about the other in the past. To be replaced at Red Bull after working so hard for it by a man he despises, would feel like a kick in the bollocks for David Coulthard. The trouble for Coulthard is that he has age as a disadvantage. It is not realistic for him to expect to be racing for much longer than two years.
It is instructive that this season's team-changing talk has come so early. Fernando Alonso's brilliance has given him an almost unassailable lead of fourteen points. The manner in which he has done it is inducing panic. Alonso is demonstrating absolute brilliance. He grabs hold of a race by the neck and doesn't let go until the chequered flag comes down. People don't know what to make of it. I have rarely observed such fear. The chap who used to induce this sort of horror was Michael Schumacher a few years ago and he seems to be experiencing the same emotions. What is going on? Yesterday there was crash after crash after yet another crash - and it wasn't even raining. Formula One is becoming exciting for the wrong reasons. I am sure we are all loving it!
All of this is producing bizarre consequences. When did you last see a team deliberatley throwing a race away? Jenson Button must have been prepared to fight with someone yesterday. Against the advice of Michelin Honda chose to use the softer tyre compound on their cars yesterday. This compound produces very little grip at low temperatures - the sort at the start or if the race is interrupted. Well, there were three safety car periods because of all the crashes which was the worst possible news for Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. There is a guy at Honda who needs some drama in his life. He obviously wants to be sacked for something dramatic. I mean to say, if the people who make the tyres are telling you something about the tyres isn't it perhaps a good idea to pay attention?
Jenson Button simply had no grip. After superbly grabbing pole position, he was screaming frustratedly into his helmet as driver after driver overtook him with ease. Then some idiot at Honda made a wrong pit-stop call and Button nearly ran out of fuel. Then just as he was about to salvage some respectability and get three points for coming in fifth, ten metres from the finishing line, his engine blew up. I don't think Jenson will want to speak to anyone for a few days. He must be disconsolate. You see, time is benning to run out for the poor chap. He has had more than 100 Grand Prix starts in top teams and has still never won a single race. It is going to be very difficult to negotiate any decent driving deal with as much cash as possible if he cannot point at silverware. Formula One is about winning races and becoming world champion. Jenson Button may have a few pole positions to his name but there is still a big fat zero next to his name when it comes to race wins. How can you be considered a championship contender if you never win?
A team which made the best of a bad lot was McLaren. With one car smashed, at least their ice-man, Kimi Raikkonen was able to earn eight point for himself and the team. It is said by his detractors that he is a boring driver. This puzzles me. What is boring about being fast? I think the argument is that he is a boring human being because of the way he speaks. I have only ever understood when he speaks in English but I reckon he is probably very entertaining when he speaks Finnish. He strikes me as the sort of chap one would enjoy going out for a pint with. Things need to begin working for him if he is to beat Alonso though.
There is a three week gap until the European racing begins at Imola, Ferrari's "home" circuit. Ferrari have tons of work to do. Two years of bad luck may be too much for some fans to take. For a team that endured twenty years in the wilderness and then came back so commandingly, Ferrari are in danger of losing their rag. The Maranello boys need to get working.
Meanwhile, there is a little Spaniard who is quietly working his way towards greatness. And he is only 24...
Gitau
3 April 2006
Running wide and then smashing his Ferrari into a wall showed that Michael Schumacher is getting badly rattled by Alonso. Something was seriously wrong with his eyes yesterday. As if crashing his car in an unforced error wasn't bad enough, he stormed off to the pits in a huff so as to walk into the comfort of his garage. The garage he walked to was covered in red paint, yes, but it had nothing to do with Ferrari. He must have thought he was hallucinating when he could not recognise anybody in the garage. Little surprise there - he was in the Toyota garage! Bad day at the office.
Another chap suffering a bad day was Juan Pablo Montoya. Embarrassingly, he managed to spin his car on the parade lap. This delayed the start and caused Giancarlo Fisichella to lose his concentration and stall at the re-start. Later JPM suffered exactly the same fate as Michael Schumacher. He ran wide and smashed his McLaren into the same wall. "Which idiot put that f***ing wall there?" is probably what he was saying when asked what had happened. Chipo didn't seem terribly bothered. I think most people accept that JPM's focus is on the season to come. His mind is probably exercised by the need to ensure that his choice of team is the right one.
The next move is almost certain to be JPM's last. Rumours of a move to Red Bull - which JPM has denied - have infuriated David Coulthard. "He has just got to shut up and get on with it," said Coulthard. "I can't comment on rumours, I can only comment on fact, and you have just got to get on with the job. I want to carry on with Red Bull next year. Obviously it is a two-way street but I have invested time and effort in my team and I would like to see the results of that," Coulthard said. JPM and Coulthard aren't exactly mates. Each has made derogatory comments about the other in the past. To be replaced at Red Bull after working so hard for it by a man he despises, would feel like a kick in the bollocks for David Coulthard. The trouble for Coulthard is that he has age as a disadvantage. It is not realistic for him to expect to be racing for much longer than two years.
It is instructive that this season's team-changing talk has come so early. Fernando Alonso's brilliance has given him an almost unassailable lead of fourteen points. The manner in which he has done it is inducing panic. Alonso is demonstrating absolute brilliance. He grabs hold of a race by the neck and doesn't let go until the chequered flag comes down. People don't know what to make of it. I have rarely observed such fear. The chap who used to induce this sort of horror was Michael Schumacher a few years ago and he seems to be experiencing the same emotions. What is going on? Yesterday there was crash after crash after yet another crash - and it wasn't even raining. Formula One is becoming exciting for the wrong reasons. I am sure we are all loving it!
All of this is producing bizarre consequences. When did you last see a team deliberatley throwing a race away? Jenson Button must have been prepared to fight with someone yesterday. Against the advice of Michelin Honda chose to use the softer tyre compound on their cars yesterday. This compound produces very little grip at low temperatures - the sort at the start or if the race is interrupted. Well, there were three safety car periods because of all the crashes which was the worst possible news for Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. There is a guy at Honda who needs some drama in his life. He obviously wants to be sacked for something dramatic. I mean to say, if the people who make the tyres are telling you something about the tyres isn't it perhaps a good idea to pay attention?
Jenson Button simply had no grip. After superbly grabbing pole position, he was screaming frustratedly into his helmet as driver after driver overtook him with ease. Then some idiot at Honda made a wrong pit-stop call and Button nearly ran out of fuel. Then just as he was about to salvage some respectability and get three points for coming in fifth, ten metres from the finishing line, his engine blew up. I don't think Jenson will want to speak to anyone for a few days. He must be disconsolate. You see, time is benning to run out for the poor chap. He has had more than 100 Grand Prix starts in top teams and has still never won a single race. It is going to be very difficult to negotiate any decent driving deal with as much cash as possible if he cannot point at silverware. Formula One is about winning races and becoming world champion. Jenson Button may have a few pole positions to his name but there is still a big fat zero next to his name when it comes to race wins. How can you be considered a championship contender if you never win?
A team which made the best of a bad lot was McLaren. With one car smashed, at least their ice-man, Kimi Raikkonen was able to earn eight point for himself and the team. It is said by his detractors that he is a boring driver. This puzzles me. What is boring about being fast? I think the argument is that he is a boring human being because of the way he speaks. I have only ever understood when he speaks in English but I reckon he is probably very entertaining when he speaks Finnish. He strikes me as the sort of chap one would enjoy going out for a pint with. Things need to begin working for him if he is to beat Alonso though.
There is a three week gap until the European racing begins at Imola, Ferrari's "home" circuit. Ferrari have tons of work to do. Two years of bad luck may be too much for some fans to take. For a team that endured twenty years in the wilderness and then came back so commandingly, Ferrari are in danger of losing their rag. The Maranello boys need to get working.
Meanwhile, there is a little Spaniard who is quietly working his way towards greatness. And he is only 24...
Gitau
3 April 2006
posted by Gitau at 12:02 pm
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