The United States Grand Prix
When you think of the United States of America, a word you cannot avoid, however hard you try, is "big". The USA is vast. It is such a huge country that you would need a very long time to travel around it and take it all in. But America is not only big in size; it is enormous in every possible way. The United States economy is by far and away the largest the world has ever known. Try spending a week without using something American and see how far you get (forget using your computer, drinking Coca Cola or switching your GPS satellite navigation device). American economic might controls the world. As if that is not bad enough, no country or combination of countries comes anywhere close to possessing as vast a military machine, awash with expensive weaponry and with an attitude higher than Mt Everest. Add to this mix the political leadership of Texan tough guy, George Dubya Bush, and you have a place on earth that nobody but an American can truly comprehend. It is perhaps not surprising that only Americans seem unfazed about living in the land with the largest proportion of massively obese people on earth.
The paradox that the USA represents is that while the rest of the world perceives America and Americans with a visceral loathing, it is the most visited country in the world. No country inspires as much yearning to belong as the USA. Americans shake their heads in disbelief every day. "If they all hate us so much, why is every coke-growing Colombian, every starving African and every peasant Indian trying to get here?" they ask themselves. Well, I can offer some answers. One is American flair. For a motor racing fan, America is a great place. The USA Grand Prix has a history dating back many decades. No country has hosted a Grand Prix in as many locations. There have been Grands Prix at Sebring, Florida, Riverside, California, Watkins Glen, New York, Long Beach, California, Detroit, Michigan, Dallas, Texas, Phoenix, Arizona and Indianapolis, Indiana. The motor racing through the years in many of these places has been outstanding. Watkins Glen is affectionately remembered by many but it is to the Brickyard in Indianapolis to which the circus returns this weekend.
The United States Grand Prix took a long break away from Uncle Sam's territory after Ayrton Senna won in Phoenix in 1991 and only came back - this time to Indianapolis - in 2000. Save for 2001 when Mika Hakkinen ruined Ferrari's party in a McLaren, Michael Schumacher has won every single race since 2000. This is not reflected in the published statistics because in 2002 Schumacher foolishly gifted the win to his team-mate, Rubens Barrichello, by attempting to stage-manage a photo-finish. It was also Schumacher who sheepishly had to accept the whistles and cat-calls on the top step of the podium at the end of last year's race featuring only six cars (all the Michelin-shod teams ridiculously boycotted the race). In other words, this is another of the many Schumacher race tracks: the tracks which Michael Schumacher feels are his alone to win. If he is to salvage any prospect of wresting this year's championship from Fernando Alonso it is crucial that Michael Schumacher wins at Indianapolis on Sunday.
If last Sunday and every other Grand Prix Sunday this season are anything to go by, Michael Schumacher will have his work cut out for him if he is to come close to catching Fernando Alonso at any circuit, let alone the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Going by Alonso's record this season there are no Schumacher circuits as far as he is concerned. No circuit is too difficult, too fast, too technical, too hot or too bumpy. When Fernando Alonso puts on his helmet and steps into his Renault he becomes peerless. Montreal last week was exceptional. In a race where every driver was struggling with a dodgy re-surfacing job at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Alonso did not put a foot wrong. Ferrari attempted to win the race strategically by having Schumacher go into qualifying with a heavy fuel load so that he would build up speed in the race when Alonso made his pit stops earlier than Schumacher had to. It did not work. Schumacher found himself stuck behind the slower Toyota of Jarno Trulli and never had the opportunity to get close to Alonso. Still, a slight mistake by Kimi Raikkonen allowed Schumacher to get second place but this was little compensation. The championship has gone. The focus must now, inevitably, be switching to 2007.
For this reason, I think Michael Schumacher will give it one last whirl next year. I believe he will be doing so alongside Kimi Raikkonen in the sister Ferrari. The rumour mill has it that Raikkonen does not mind the opportunity of racing against both Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher in 2007 - even though the latter will be his team-mate - because it may only be the start of a long and fruitful relationship with the boys from Maranello. This may prove to be a very smart move. Subject to what McLaren are able to do for the reigning world champion, this may be the head start Raikkonen needs.
Speaking of McLaren, I ought to pick Chipo's brain about where next for Juan Pablo Montoya. It has not been confirmed that he is leaving the team but he doesn't seem terribly interested in being at McLaren at the moment. I thought Toyota was an option but the latest news is that they will be retaining Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli (bizarre, I think, because the team's performance has not been great). Perhaps BMW is an option - and Montoya did do rather well in a BMW powered Williams a couple of years ago. We will soon find out.
It's a big race in a big country. Get something big for the barbeque - perhaps a T-bone steak - wash it down with a decent drop of red from the Napa Valley and,
Enjoy Indianapolis!
Gitau
The paradox that the USA represents is that while the rest of the world perceives America and Americans with a visceral loathing, it is the most visited country in the world. No country inspires as much yearning to belong as the USA. Americans shake their heads in disbelief every day. "If they all hate us so much, why is every coke-growing Colombian, every starving African and every peasant Indian trying to get here?" they ask themselves. Well, I can offer some answers. One is American flair. For a motor racing fan, America is a great place. The USA Grand Prix has a history dating back many decades. No country has hosted a Grand Prix in as many locations. There have been Grands Prix at Sebring, Florida, Riverside, California, Watkins Glen, New York, Long Beach, California, Detroit, Michigan, Dallas, Texas, Phoenix, Arizona and Indianapolis, Indiana. The motor racing through the years in many of these places has been outstanding. Watkins Glen is affectionately remembered by many but it is to the Brickyard in Indianapolis to which the circus returns this weekend.
The United States Grand Prix took a long break away from Uncle Sam's territory after Ayrton Senna won in Phoenix in 1991 and only came back - this time to Indianapolis - in 2000. Save for 2001 when Mika Hakkinen ruined Ferrari's party in a McLaren, Michael Schumacher has won every single race since 2000. This is not reflected in the published statistics because in 2002 Schumacher foolishly gifted the win to his team-mate, Rubens Barrichello, by attempting to stage-manage a photo-finish. It was also Schumacher who sheepishly had to accept the whistles and cat-calls on the top step of the podium at the end of last year's race featuring only six cars (all the Michelin-shod teams ridiculously boycotted the race). In other words, this is another of the many Schumacher race tracks: the tracks which Michael Schumacher feels are his alone to win. If he is to salvage any prospect of wresting this year's championship from Fernando Alonso it is crucial that Michael Schumacher wins at Indianapolis on Sunday.
If last Sunday and every other Grand Prix Sunday this season are anything to go by, Michael Schumacher will have his work cut out for him if he is to come close to catching Fernando Alonso at any circuit, let alone the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Going by Alonso's record this season there are no Schumacher circuits as far as he is concerned. No circuit is too difficult, too fast, too technical, too hot or too bumpy. When Fernando Alonso puts on his helmet and steps into his Renault he becomes peerless. Montreal last week was exceptional. In a race where every driver was struggling with a dodgy re-surfacing job at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Alonso did not put a foot wrong. Ferrari attempted to win the race strategically by having Schumacher go into qualifying with a heavy fuel load so that he would build up speed in the race when Alonso made his pit stops earlier than Schumacher had to. It did not work. Schumacher found himself stuck behind the slower Toyota of Jarno Trulli and never had the opportunity to get close to Alonso. Still, a slight mistake by Kimi Raikkonen allowed Schumacher to get second place but this was little compensation. The championship has gone. The focus must now, inevitably, be switching to 2007.
For this reason, I think Michael Schumacher will give it one last whirl next year. I believe he will be doing so alongside Kimi Raikkonen in the sister Ferrari. The rumour mill has it that Raikkonen does not mind the opportunity of racing against both Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher in 2007 - even though the latter will be his team-mate - because it may only be the start of a long and fruitful relationship with the boys from Maranello. This may prove to be a very smart move. Subject to what McLaren are able to do for the reigning world champion, this may be the head start Raikkonen needs.
Speaking of McLaren, I ought to pick Chipo's brain about where next for Juan Pablo Montoya. It has not been confirmed that he is leaving the team but he doesn't seem terribly interested in being at McLaren at the moment. I thought Toyota was an option but the latest news is that they will be retaining Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli (bizarre, I think, because the team's performance has not been great). Perhaps BMW is an option - and Montoya did do rather well in a BMW powered Williams a couple of years ago. We will soon find out.
It's a big race in a big country. Get something big for the barbeque - perhaps a T-bone steak - wash it down with a decent drop of red from the Napa Valley and,
Enjoy Indianapolis!
Gitau
posted by Gitau at 3:40 pm
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