Crazily Fast and Furious

Formula 1 is not the only racing realm with hyped teammate feud; NASCAR Nextel Cup is also part of the big battle arena.

The key to why teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are dueling for NASCAR’s Nextel Cup in a friendly way, while teammates Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth are feuding and imploding in the Chase, lies on a grimy floor, Los Angeles Times reported.

Rick Hendrick, father of today’s multi-car NASCAR team concept, learned that if you’re going to put two or more drivers in the same outfit, you’d better see to it yourself that personalities mesh from the outset, and that they get along all the time.

But back to this week’s tempest. At about the same time Edwards was manhandling and arguing with Kenseth on the pit road at Martinsville, Va., on Sunday, Gordon was in Victory Lane congratulating Johnson, to whom he’d just lost the race and lost ground in the Chase.

Johnson and Gordon had "leaned on each other," Johnson said, in driver-speak for rubbing and banging fenders, all race as they battled for the win. But Johnson won and Gordon finished third, and that was that. It was over.

Viral marketing created media avalanche. Edwards went onto NASCAR’s weekly teleconference in full apology mode. But in apologizing, he exposed deeper, festering wounds at Roush, and his teammates followed up by ripping open more. "I don’t think Matt has voluntarily said two sentences to me in the last 6 months," Edwards said.

Biffle told ESPN.com: "You can’t act like that." McMurray piled on Edwards via ESPN TV.

"I’ve got Jimmie Johnson calling me every time I win to say, ‘Good job,’ " he added. “My teammates aren’t the ones doing that. And I’m just as guilty. I haven’t been as happy for their successes as I could be. Hendrick Motorsports, and those people we compete against, do a better job of having team spirit than we’ve done lately at Roush Fenway.”

Kyle Busch, who threatened to become a real problem child as a lame duck after Hendrick, in June, signed Dale Earnhardt Jr. to replace Busch next year. But Hendrick has continued to treat Busch so well that he’s emerged as about the nicest lame duck you’ll ever see on a NASCAR team. At Charlotte two races ago, with Busch was sitting right on Gordon’s bumper during a late caution. Hendrick’s soft voice came on the radio and calmed both drivers.

On Edwards’ teleconference, part of his response to a question about Hendrick harmony vs. Roush discord was this: "Your question is, really, ‘Is Rick Hendrick doing a better job than Jack Roush?’ and I don’t think it’s that simple."

What do you think?

In Formula 1, the first person to help (if there’s any chance of doing so) is your teammate. Also, in the much-loved high-speed sport, the first person to beat is your teammate. Now how do you reconcile those facts?

Take the last F1 race this season at Interlagos (thanks to Planet-F1):

Ferrari
Raikkonen 10 Massa 7
Race: Kimi

It would have been interesting to see if Raikkonen had the pace to beat Massa on a day when it didn’t matter. However Felipe put in the lap times of someone who is driving their hardest - up until the time he was due in for his first pit-stop, when they levelled off. Often you see green (personal best) times or purple (best of all) times just before a pit-stop as the fuel load has come right down. Not with Felipe.

McLaren
Alonso 9 Hamilton 8
Race: Fernando

This was like a reverse of the start of the season when Alonso got delayed behind a Ferrari in the first turn and Hamilton drove round the outside of him. Lewis’s attempt to get the place back off Alonso straight away was the rookie showing through. He needs to acquire some of Raikkonen’s patience.

True, squabbles and camaraderie could make or unmake an F1 team. And this season should be taken as a lifelong lesson for all the F1 drivers.

First stop – Ferrari Scuderia, one of the most powerful teams in the hyped sport. Under its protective mantle are the 2007 World Champ Kimi Raikkonen and the sensational Felipe Massa. The Finn also called “Iceman” is known for being a laconic person. His Brazilian teammate, meanwhile, is a bit of a blabber. But their difference helped them establish strong camaraderie that pushed the team to the top. That camaraderie pushed Massa into helping his teammate win this year’s title.

Next stop – McLaren Mercedes a.k.a. the Woking Team. The rise of McLaren this season is remarkable thanks to the charisma of the former World Champ Fernando Alonso and the stellar-performing rookie Lewis Hamilton. At the start of the season who would think the duo would be very controversial?

Without Schumi in the picture, it could have been easier for Alonso to defend his title. But no one, especially the Spaniard, had expected his Briton teammate to be such a strong rival. He seemed a bit spooked. And fear was written all over his face. The result: the toughest test of his F1 career.

The duo’s squabbles, Alonso complaining McLaren’s treatment, Lewis complaining Alonso’s attitude, and there’s the ‘spy scandal.’ All of those factors made McLaren shaky.

Hamilton lost a potential title. Alonso failed to defend his reign. Why? The common denominator is the unhealthy rivalry.

Hamilton and Alonso will return in 2008. But will they still be teammates? That remains to be seen. If they remain as such, they should exert every effort to wipe away squabbles and replace them with pure camaraderie. For sure the title will be all the sweeter.

The season finale of the world’s most renowned event, the Formula One World Championship, ended in a dramatic fashion with team Ferrari bagging their fifteenth world championship title and the 1st Driver’s World Championship title for ace Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen!

The event was tremendously breathe-taking! The crowd was extremely into the race until the final lap and even a Dodge control arm won’t even handle the adrenaline of the Brazilian Grand Prix!

Let’s check out some notes and quotes from team Ferrari after winning this season’s World Championship title courtesy of MotorSport.com: 

Jean Todt:

"A dream that it seemed would be impossible to come true was transformed into reality at the end of a race which the drivers and the team managed superbly, which is self evident from looking at the details of the race. We had to get a one-two and then see what our main competitors could do. We needed a "helping hand" from others, both those in the running for the title as well as those out of the running to bring home both titles. And yes, because not only have we taken the Drivers’ title with Kimi, but we also numerically confirmed the Constructors’ title that we acquired after the decision of the FIA World Council back on 13 September. Two titles, nine wins, four one-two finishes, nine pole positions, twelve fastest race laps: these are exceptional figures in a season which included some difficult moments, but in which we never gave up the fight. Today was our reward for all this work. I wish to congratulate Kimi and thank Felipe, who again today demonstrated his loyalty to Ferrari: without his help, we would have not reached this result."

Kimi Raikkonen:

"It is very difficult for me to explain in words what I am feeling at the moment: it is an incredible emotion. I want to thank the team for everything they have done this year. Even when we went through some difficult times and it looked as though there was no way to fight back, we never gave up and this work produced its reward today. Thanks also to my parents, to my wife Jenni and everyone who believed in me. I have achieved what I have been after for a long time. Now everything else will be an extra. Today, Felipe’s help was vital and he was amazing. We had to get a one-two and then see what the others did. This time, things went our way and the unexpected did happen. This has been a very nice year for me during which I have enjoyed Formula 1 like never before. In Ferrari, I have found a great family and I am proud to have won the title with them."

Kimi Raikkonen will be having his 28th birthday which he will be celebrating with drivers and racers in Sao Paulo. He said, "I have no special plans to celebrate: It is better just to focus on the race weekend. I just hope for one present for my birthday and I hope to receive it after the race on Sunday afternoon!”

Motorsport quoted Kimi saying, "After the race in China I’ve been to Dubai for a couple of days. They have great weather this time of the year. We go to Brazil in position three. So I’m not really the favorite for the title. But as we saw at Shanghai two weeks ago anything can happen. Whatever will happen, it’s going to be a very exciting race. We will give it all."

"It is nice to get on going after the Chinese Grand Prix, where I had a very good feeling with the car and the team. We couldn’t do very much to prepare ourselves for Interlagos. We have just done some simulations and analyzed the data. Let’s hope that everything will be all right for this demanding and bumpy track. I know that the track has been redone, but we have to wait and see."

The Finnish driver said, "I think that our competitors have done their job as we did. There’s lots of pressure on both sides. They have two drivers in the race for the title and they also fight each other. Hopefully we can benefit from that. At Interlagos we need a strong package, especially the engine is very important for the long rising main straight."

"I will start into this race the same way as into the last two. My aim is to win and the rest is not up to me. It is a similar situation as in 2003, when I lost the title to Michael. But at a certain point during the Japanese GP it was a really close call. Hamilton has seven points more than us: there’s not much to calculate. We have to win and that’s it,” he continued. 

He also said that he wishes nothing happens to his tires: "I’ve been reading stories that the supersoft tyres should be better for our competitors. That might have been true early in the season. But then things improved for us in terms of the setup. So we just have to wait and see how it goes in Brazil."

"I have been close to winning at Interlagos, but it has never quite paid off. I’ve finished three times second, which is not that bad at all. Once I already had the trophy back home for a couple of days. But I had to give it back later because the FIA had checked the classification again. Two weeks ago I said the same about Shanghai and then, this year, I won: let’s hope history repeats itself!" he finally ended. 

My most favorite racing sport is nearing season finale. Too bad the season has to end. But on a positive note, I’m thrilled to know who among the drivers shall grab this year’s title. Will Fernando retain his F1 Champ title? Will Lewis snatch the crown? Or will Kimi finally grab the most coveted title?

Will there be a new winner? A Spaniard, a Briton and a Finn – who among them is worthy of this year’s F1 Champ title? Actually, there are so many questions hanging at the back of my head. But these queries will be answered this weekend.

I know F1 drivers especially the first 3 in the drivers’ championship standing are feeling the jitters, much much more than I do. Though I have a personal favorite, I do hope the most deserving driver will win the title.

Brazilian GP Preview Quotes:

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren (107 points)
“China was another valuable lesson for me this season, and an incident I will take from and try to develop as a driver. I moved on from the disappointment pretty quickly and since leaving Shanghai, my sole focus has been on Brazil. Interlagos is one of those circuits that everybody talks about. I understand it has a fantastic atmosphere, the fans are crazy for the sport, and the track lends itself to great racing. It is another new circuit for me, and there has been a lot of talk by other people about how it is tricky to drive. That’s why I see it as a special challenge and when I arrive at the track on Wednesday I will study it hard with my engineers and start to get an understanding of it. I’ve had some great races with the team this year, and I hope to have another one in Interlagos. Whilst I might be ahead by four points, this championship is still very open. I will do what I can to score the points I need, and the rest is out of our hands.”

Fernando Alonso, McLaren (103 points)
“Interlagos has a lot of great memories for me, having won both of my two world championships at the circuit. They were both quite different races, but that is a characteristic of the track. It is very bumpy, you have to have suspension that allows you to drive hard whilst not being too uncomfortable. There are some great corners that you really get to attack, and all the elevation changes make it interesting for the drivers. I am sure we are going to Brazil with full equality across the team and two cars capable of fighting for victory in the race and the championship. Although I am now only four points away from Lewis (Hamilton), I still need for there to be a lot of circumstances in my favor for me to win the drivers’ title that are out of my control, but for sure I will be doing everything that is under my control to make it happen. I have to do my bit and then hope everything else falls into place.”

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari (100 points)
"My aim is to win and the rest is not up to me. For me it is a similar position to 2003. Then I lost the title to Michael (Schumacher), but looking back it was a close call and at one point during the race it looked possible. Hamilton has seven points more than us. It is not easy to go to the last race just to get a couple of points more. We cannot calculate. We have to win. For us it is a straightforward race.”

“There is a lot of pressure on both sides. They [Alonso and Hamilton] are the favorites and they fight against each other, too. Hopefully we benefit from that."

[credits: F1 website, Kimi’s website]

In 2004, young Heikki Kovalainen captured the attention of the world when he beat seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher in the Race of Champions.  This year, the young Finn is looking to repeat his performance as he is confirmed to participate in the event.  Last year, the Formula One driver narrowly missed winning the individual championship but won with fellow Finn Marcus Gronholm in the team competition.

"Beating Michael was a very nice thing for me," said Kovy.  That time, he had recently won the World Series by Nissan. "I remember watching him race against Ayrton Senna when I was still in karts so to beat him on a level playing field was quite unbelievable and the reaction from all the fans in the stadium when I climbed on the roof of the car was incredible!"

This year, the Race of Champions will be held at the Wembley Stadium and the Finn is looking forward to the event with much gusto. "Driving so close to so many fans creates a very special atmosphere and I’m really looking forward to race in Wembley Stadium," said the Finn.  "Last year I lost in the half-finals by just 0,002 seconds against Sweden’s Mattias Ekström who went on to win The Race of Champions, so I’m really motivated to try to take back the title I won in 2004."

The Race of Champions is a very prestigious event as the best drivers in the world from different motorsports come together to find out who will be crowned the Champion of Champions. Drivers from Formula One, World Rally Championship, and NASCAR Nextel Cup will be representing their countries come December 18.

"Winning for your nation is something very rare in motorsport," said Heikki.  "It’s great to represent Finland who has so many great drivers and motorsport is so popular. We will do everything we can do defend the title for Finland together with Marcus."

Aside from Kovy, the Race of Champions will also welcome seven-time Formula One world champ Michael Schumacher, Honda’s Jenson Button, World Touring Car champ Andy Priaulx, Red Bull Racing’s David Coulthard, triple Champ Car champ Sebastien Bourdais, seven-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, former DTM champ Mattias Ekstrom, Nextel Cup champ Jimmie Johnson, eight-time X-Games gold medalist Travis Pastrana, and double World Rally champ Marcus Gronholm. Sadly, former World Rally Champion Colin McRae passed away thus making the event lose one of its stars.  I hope they would dedicate this year’s event to the memory of Colin.

The driver to watch here in my point of view is Pastrana.  He has shown that he has the ability to win over veteran four-wheeled car drivers.  Last year, he competed alone for the United States as Johnson was injured and his replacement Scott Speed was also sidelined due to injuries.

Kimi Raikkonen was quted on motorsport.com about his reaction towards the results in China. Kimi was extremely happey before he left China. He said, "I was really happy on Sunday night: we couldn’t get the maximum in China and Japan, but we showed that we were able to win both of the races, which was very important in view of the race in Brazil."

“The situation seemed to be compromised after the race at Fuji, but in Shanghai we managed to put things straight. Now we have new hope to win the title and it’s good to know that we can go to Sao Paulo and try our luck,” Kimi continued.

He added, "It would have been better if also Alonso would have not made it, but Hamilton’s retirement, his first in this season, was very important. It has been since the race at the Nürburgring, when I had to stop with a hydraulic problem, that we didn’t control the championship. We have to go on working the way we did at the last two races. We have to give our best to try to have another double win. We do have the possibility, as you could see. If we manage to do the same at Interlagos everything depends on what our competitors can do."

When Kimi was convinced by Ferrari to compete to Shanghai and he said, "Since the first laps on Friday I knew that the car went really well under any weather conditions. We just needed to find the right setup for this kind of situation we had ahead of us: we checked on the weather forecast and we were well prepared. We knew that we would be behind in the first part of the race, but then we were able to up our game, once the track was dry. In the end it was exactly like that."

"We didn’t get the pole although I had a very quick lap in Q3. Hamilton had less fuel in his car so it was much easier for him. At the start of the race, I had a lot of understeer but then the situation improved and I managed to pick up on Hamilton.” Kimi also said, “Due to the yellow flags I had to wait a bit before I could pass him. I had to slow down a couple of times in some corners, when I was right next to him. There was no point in pressing too hard and throwing it all away. When the yellow flags were gone he took one corner slightly too wide and I benefited from this situation."

"Later I just had to remain concentrated and bring home the victory. At the end I was asked if that was the most beautiful victory with Ferrari: undeniably it was a very difficult one; the first one on a wet track; and it was really a great feeling. It could have been even better if there hadn’t been the bitter aftertaste from what had happened at Fuji, with the rules handed out by the FIA without us having been informed,” Motorsport.com quoted this statement from Kimi.

Kimi was extremely happy with the result and he didn’t hide his satisfaction towards the title race. He said,  "We’re back in the fight. After the one in 2003, when I came to Suzuka with nine points behind Michael, this is the second time that I will play it in the last race. Now I’m seven points behind Hamilton and three behind Alonso. Anything can happen in the race. There are more possibilities to pick up on Alonso. In China it was the 200th victory in a GP for Ferrari: I played only a small part in this great history, but I’m very proud to be a part of this legendary team. 200 wins show how strong Ferrari really is."

After suffering his first real mistake of his burgeoning Formula One career at the Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton proved that he is made of tougher stuff than other drivers.  With a win at the Chinese Grand Prix, the Briton could have been the youngest Formula One champion and the first rookie to take the crown. But was it really a mistake by the Briton?

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren’s managing director, shed some light on what happened at the race. "We believed that it was a lower risk to leave Lewis on those (intermediate) tyres until we had more information on a new threat of rain," said Whitmarsh. "We didn’t want to put him on to dry tyres too early and risk him going off if it rained again. The reality is that we made the decision a lap too late."

And then he said something that made me believe that Hamilton is really great for the sport: "Being Lewis I’m sure he will blame himself, but it was a mistake by the team. We said for him to stay out."

His teacher, team principal Ron Dennis, is also one hundred percent behind his protégé. "The great thing about Lewis is you just know he can cope," said Dennis.  "He’s probably one of the few formula one drivers who could quote you sections from the FIA regulations. He wants to understand everything and to be the best driver and team member in every respect. He is totally focused on being the best driver in formula one."

The youngster admitted that he puts a lot of the blame on himself just like Mr. Whitmarsh said.  "You can be kicked up the arse by someone else, or you can kick yourself. People ask me where does the main pressure come from? Is it McLaren? Sponsors? No, I put a lot of pressure on myself," said Hamilton.  "The desire to win is so strong, it’s incredible. So when you make a mistake, and you know you shouldn’t have made a mistake or you know you can do better, it’s a real pain. But you dance back a little bit, and turn all that negative energy into something positive. That’s a powerful tool to have."

"I think the key is to be professional, and I do my talking on the track. It’s important to control yourself and be professional about it and move on while taking everything you can from that race," concluded Hamilton.

With his retirement at the Chinese Grand Prix, he inadvertently set up the stage for one of the most thrilling season ending races in memory.  Now, who said that Formula One will not be exciting after that seven-time champion German Formula One driver named Michael Schumacher retired?  One more race, it’s all on the line.  Who do you think will take all the marbles?

Fernando Alonso, the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver, finished second at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. However, his teammate Lewis Hamilton only did lap 31 and finally retired from the race. The victory came to Kimi Raikkonen but the championship will be decided among these three. Whoever wins will be sent to the final race in Sao Paulo after two weeks.

Fernando made 56 laps on 305.066 km which gave him a total race time of 1h 37m 58.395s. Kimi was 9.8 seconds behind Fernando who made a two-stop strategy and was able to pit on lap 18 with 7.7 seconds as well as 32 with 8.9 seconds. 

Lewis still maintains his lead at the Drivers’ Championship after his first retirement on 16 GP. He made 107 points on 16 out of 17 races and was followed by  Fernando on the second rank garnering a score of 103 making Kimi rank third with a 100 overall score.

Lewis Hamilton (DNF) said, "When I got out of the car I was obviously gutted for both myself and the team. I haven’t made a mistake all year but I am over it now. There is still one race to go, so I can still do it. I made a strong start to the race and my first stop went well. Prior to entering the pit lane for my last stop I was constantly talking to the team. Although my tires were in poor condition we took a joint decision to get through the last rain shower before changing to dry tires."

He continued his statement by saying, "I was trying to be very careful and as a result was not really fighting aggressively with Kimi. It would have worked out perfectly, but I then made a mistake coming into the pitlane and that was it. We made the right decision, and it was just unfortunate. I will now focus on attacking in Brazil where I will do everything I can to bounce back."

Fernando Alonso said, "Today was a very good result for me. I had a battle with Felipe at the start, but unfortunately I was not able to finish the first lap in front of him. As a result I lost a lot of time behind him in the first stint because there was a loss of downforce when following him in the high speed corners."

Fernando Alonso also was quoted by Motorsport saying, "It was difficult towards the end on the wet Bridgestone tires as they were practically slick, but we stayed out as long as possible to get through the final shower, which was the right decision as I was able to come out ahead of Felipe on my final stop. Although this result is a boost to my chances in the Championship it is still not going to be easy. However I will not be giving up until the chequered flag in two weeks time."

Norbert Haug said to Motorsports.com, "It was a shame what happened to Lewis, but no blame at all to him. He was performing very well but it wasn’t to be. Fernando finished second in a challenging race under difficult conditions and did a great job to stay in the World Championship fight. The team worked so hard throughout the season, and we will come out of this even stronger."

Haug continues, "We now set our sights on the final in Brazil where we will face a three driver fight for the World Championship and are still in a good position to take the title there. For all of us it makes much more sense to concentrate on the final race ahead of us rather than the one today where we didn’t get the best possible result."

Ron Dennis also made a comment and he said, "The start of the race saw everybody being careful not to make any mistakes. Lewis pulled out a healthy lead and stopped a little earlier than both Fernando and the two Ferraris. All of these cars stayed on the same set of tires which was clearly the right decision. Like us, our competition was hoping to get through the last period of rain before changing to dry tires."

"Lewis stopped first but a combination of tire condition, the wetness of the pitlane and a small mistake saw him run wide into the gravel trap. Fernando’s second stop took place on the following lap and he drove an excellent race to put himself firmly back in contention for the World Championship. As always we will now focus on the next Grand Prix and with both Fernando and Lewis having a points lead over Kimi it should be an interesting end to the season in Brazil."

Just like the GMC Yukon cap & rotor kit, you can also read more about the Chinese Grand Prix at motorsport.com’s official website. Log on and be updated.