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.