Category: Motor Racing

Finland’s Heikki Kovalainen has joined the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team as Lewis Hamilton new team-mate for the 2008 world championship.

The young Formula One rookie impressed the Woking-based outfit despite a shaky start at Renault. Heikki initially struggle to drive the R27 due to a lack of a decent balance – which in effect dented his confidence in driving.

His performances improved over the course of the season with his best-ever finish in the wet dramatic race at the Fuji Speedway, finishing behind race winner Hamilton.

By joining McLaren, Heikki has a wonderful opportunity to showcase his talent with a race-winning car. In addition, it will be fascinating to see if Lewis can handle another fast team-mate.

Pedro de la Rose remains as the third driver, with Gary Paffett staying on board as tester.

 

Double world champion Fernando Alonso has return back to his spiritual home that is the Renault F1 team for the 2008 championship. The Spaniard will partner rising Brazilian star Nelsinho Piquet, son of three times world champion Nelson Piquet.

The new line-up means Heikki Kovalainen and Giancarlo Fisichella without a drive for next season, though it later emerges that Kovalainen will partner Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in 2008. As for Fisichella, he is hoping to land the race drive at the new Force India team (formerly Spyker).

It wasn’t a surprise for Alonso to go back to Flavio Briatore’s team to be honest. After suffering a traumatic first season at McLaren in 2007 racing against both Ron Dennis and young hotshot that is Hamilton, his decision to move back to Renault was a right choice for both parties.

Alonso will earn around £25m as part of his two-year contract at Renault. The Spaniard will become the highest paid driver in the post-Schumacher era of Formula One, though he has a ‘get out’ clause if he wishes to join Ferrari and team up with Kimi Raikkonen in the near future.

As for Nelson Piquet Jr, this opportunity to race alongside the world champion will be a massive benefit for the GP2 race winner. The Brazilian can learn the ropes and perhaps might beat his highly rated team-mate in the races!

The 2008 world championship will be crucial for Briatore, as the team suffered it most disappointing season since 2002. After taking the championship double (drivers’ and constructors’ title) in 2005 and 2006, it was shocking to see the former champions suffer with a lack of decent race result. The best result in 2007 was Kovalainen’s superb second place in a rain-lashed Japanese Grand Prix.

Hopefully next year will bring good fortune for Briatore, Alonso and Piquet Jr but it will be a tough challenge against the mighty Ferrari and McLaren race teams. Let see how competitive the new Renault R28 chassis will be.

Citroen star Sebastien Loeb has clinched his fourth consecutive World Rally Championship after a caution run to third place behind the dominate Fords of Mikko Hirvonen and title rival Marcus Gronholm on the Rally GB.

Gronholm need to out-score his championship rival Loeb by seven points in the season finale to snatch the title in his final rally before retiring from full-time competition. In the end, the Finn admitted he lost the opportunity after crashing out in the previous event, the Rally of Ireland.

Having led the drivers’ standings for most of the year, Gronholm said he still rued the crash in Ireland that had allowed Loeb to take the points lead going into the finale.

“I am disappointed of course, but it was a difficult rally this one, and we lost the title in Ireland,” he said.

For Loeb, this result means he is one of the most successful rally drivers of the modern era. To take his fourth crowd is an impressive achievement and when interviewed after finishing third, the Frenchman couldn’t contain his enthusiasm.

“It’s incredible,” said Loeb. “To get the championship with only four points lead is not the same as getting it with 40 points (lead) like some years ago. It’s a really, really good moment.”

When asked if this was his most difficult championship battle yet, Loeb replied: “For sure, no comparison.”

Even though the Rally GB was overshadowed by the Loeb versus Gronholm title battle, it was Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen who actually won the event. It was the Finn’s third win of the season but on the final special stage, he nearly lost control of his car!

“We went off, and I didn’t plan it!” Hirvonen joked. “This season has been absolutely fantastic, and finishing it like this is the best preparation for next year.”

Indeed, next year WRC is just around the corner with the Rally of Monte Carlo in January. With Marcus Gronholm hanging up his helmet – who will challenge the mighty Sebastien Loeb? No doubt 2008 will be another fascinating contest between these great rally drivers in all kinds of track surfaces and conditions.

Citroen rally driver Sebastien Loeb is within touching distance of claiming this year World Rally Championship after taking victory in the Rally of Ireland.

The Frenchman dominated the event from start to finish, but it wasn’t entirely straightforward. He suffered a suspension problem on the first day and then picked up a ten second penalty for being late out of service. Despite that, he survived the tricky conditions to win the first Irish rally event.

As for his championship rival Marcus Gronholm, the Finn crashed out on the first day handing the title advantage to Loeb (the Frenchman is six points ahead as we approach the season-ending Rally GB).

“The rally was really, really difficult, but we managed to finish it,” said Loeb. “Ten points more for the championship is really important. That could change a lot of things for the championship. We will see in GB.

“For sure this rally was one of the most difficult we’ve ever done, because it was very muddy, but the car was really good. I had a really good feeling and I was not pushing so hard, just driving through with no risks.”

Finishing in second was his Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo, giving the team another perfect one-two result. Jari-Matti Latvala made up his Rally Japan error by claming his first WRC podium finish in Ireland.

McLaren have announced that former Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso is to leave the British team, after both parties agreed to a ‘mutual parting of ways’.

The Spaniard, who joined the squad from Renault at the start of the 2007 season, originally had two years left to run on his contract but in a statement released on Friday, it is revealed that after discussion, it’s been decided ‘it would be in the best interests of both parties to bring the relationship to an end’.

Over the course of the season, Alonso has expressed his dissatisfaction at McLaren, in particular not receiving fair treatment. Even though he won four races for the team and finishing third in the championship standings, the relations between the Spaniard and Ron Dennis had become increasingly strained in recent months.

To end this difficult period by parting ways is the best of both worlds in my opinion. This is what Dennis had to say about the outgoing champion:

“He is a great driver but for some reason the combination of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Fernando has not really worked out, and in the end we reached a stage where none of us could find a way to move forward,” explained the McLaren team principal. “We all believe that our joint decision to part company is for the best, and we will now continue to focus on our 2008 world championship challenge.

Everybody at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, especially McLaren’s Spanish Partners Banco Santander and Mutua Madrilena and the team’s title partner Vodafone, want to wish Fernando all the best for the future.”

As for Alonso, he commented that, although he never really felt at home at McLaren, he still believed they were a great squad. “Since I was a boy I had always wanted to drive for McLaren, but sometimes in life things do not work out,” explained the 26 year-old. “I continue to believe that McLaren is a great team. Yes, we have had our ups and downs during the season, which has made it extra-challenging for all of us, and it is not a secret that I never really felt at home.

“I know there have been suggestions of favouritism within the team and people say a lot of things in the heat of battle, but in the end I was always provided with an equal opportunity to win. Today’s decision allows all of us to focus on 2008, and I wish the team, Vodafone, Banco Santander, Mutua Madrilena and all the other team partners who I have worked closely with during the year, the best for the future.”

And so it ends the Alonso-McLaren partnership… Where next for the Spaniard? Will he return back to Renault – in which he won his two drivers’ title? Perhaps there is a possible position at Toyota (following the departure of Ralf Schumacher)? Or maybe, there is a chance at both Red Bull and BMW Sauber?

As for Lewis Hamilton – the championship runner-up – who will partner him in the second seat at McLaren? The rumours seem to point to three drivers who could possibly be his new team-mate in 2008. These three are: Nico Rosberg, Adrian Sutil and Heikki Kovalainen.

Nico Rosberg currently drives for Williams. He is under contract with the British team but it will be interesting if Frank Williams (team boss) is willing to release his driver for a seat at McLaren…

For Adrian Sutil, it will be a dream come true if the German can drive for the top team after racing all-season in the Spyker. His pace in the orange/black car was stunning and it would be amazing if Sutil were given the opportunity to drive for Dennis.

But you have to say that Heikki Kovalainen remains the favourite to land the seat. If this happens, Kovalainen would be Ron Dennis’s third Finnish driver in seven years, following Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen. In addition, it would allow a straight swap with Renault for the outgoing Fernando Alonso.

But at this stage in time, it is unclear who will partner Lewis and which team Fernando will drive for. This is all speculation so we shall wait and see what happens in this mad world that is Formula One!

Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen secured his third victory of his World Rally Championship career with a comfortable win over Dani Sordo in the Rally of Japan.

The Ford Rallye Sport driver kept his composure superbly in tricky conditions that saw both title contenders Marcus Grönholm and Sébastien Loeb, and early rally leader Jari-Matti Latvala, all crashing out within the first day.

It was a dramatic blow for both Grönholm and Loeb’s title chances. Marcus lost control of his Ford Focus on the first day of the event – which resulted in a damaged rollcage! As for the triple WRC champion, Sébastien should have benefited from his rival’s misfortune but he too went off the road after co-driver Daniel Elena misread a pace note…

Unlike Grönholm, the Citroen was able to resume under the Super Rally regulations the next day. The Frenchman took four stage wins but retired from the event after oil pressure problems in the penultimate stage. The result means that Grönholm is still four points ahead with two rounds remaining.

It is going to be a close contest between the two. Marcus will be determined to finish his WRC career in style with a championship win (the Finn will retire at the end of this year). For Sébastien, he wants to win the title for the fourth successive year, driving the brand-new Citroen C4 rally car. Who will win the ultimate prize? Let’s see how the final two rally events will throw in this fascinating season of the World Rally Championship.

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen takes the 2007 Formula One World Championship against all odds by beating Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in a dramatic race in Sao Paulo.

It was a thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix from start to finish. Kimi Raikkonen deserves the championship and it was a great result for the Iceman after so many years of trying. What a shame that Lewis Hamilton lost out in the final race in Brazil. He was the favourite to win after qualifying an excellent second position, but in the race he had problems…

On the first lap, Kimi Raikkonen accelerated off the starting grid to get ahead of Lewis Hamilton into the Senna S. Lewis lost momentum behind the two Ferraris which allow Fernando Alonso to slip through on the inside at Curva do Sol. The championship leader tried to retaliate into the Descida do Lago corner, only to lock a brake and run wide onto the run-off area, falling to eighth place.

Eight laps later, his hopes of winning the title came at the worst possible moment when his car suddenly slowed. Exiting Descida do Lago, he flicked the gearshift paddle on his steering wheel to change up but found a boxful of neutrals…

As his McLaren stuttered to find a gear, car after car went by. Lewis managed to get going again after making some urgent radio instructions to the pits on how to fix it. But by now, he was down to 18th position and was more than 40 seconds behind the race leader Felipe Massa…

Hamilton was in a desperate situation as his two title rivals Alonso and Raikkonen were ahead of him on the track. He had to charge through the field in order to score some points to keep his championship hopes alive… alas, this wasn’t to be. Even though he pulled off some spectacular overtaking passes to move up the leading board, including on Rubens Barrichello’s Honda into the first corner, Lewis simply lacked pace compared to the Ferraris. It was a cruel blow to lose the title after sixteen rounds of this epic season of Formula One racing in the final race. To finish seventh was a disappointment, but Lewis should be proud by his achievements in his first season, including those nine consecutive podium finishes and four Grand Prix victories.

As for Fernando Alonso, the double world champion struggled to be on the same lap times as the two red cars. He made the decisive move on his McLaren team-mate on the first lap to take third, but then on, failed to make any progress. The Spaniard even dropped to fourth at one point, when Robert Kubica’s BMW Sauber overtook him into the Senna S. He regained third when Kubica made his pitstop. Alonso lost the championship by a single point to Kimi Raikkonen after finishing in a distant third…

For Felipe Massa, the crowd favourite didn’t win his home race but the Brazilian should be satisfied by his performance in Sao Paulo. Led from pole position. Lapped consistently without any mistakes and to finish a close second behind the 2007 champion was a fantastic result for Massa and Ferrari.

Finishing in fourth goes to Nico Rosberg in the Williams. The German drove a great race and he was lucky not to get involved in a shunt with Nick Heidfeld with 11 laps to the chequered flag. Both cars went wide into the first corner, which let Heidfeld’s BMW team-mate Kubica through, but Rosberg was able to catch him and grab fourth on the penultimate lap.

The lapped Hamilton finished the race in seventh but the result in Brazil means he finishes second in the drivers’ standing after leading it for the last five months… Toyota’s Jarno Trulli made a late pit stop to finish in the last remaining points finish with eighth.

David Coulthard finished in ninth position for Red Bull Racing despite colliding into Formula One newcomer Kazuki Nakajima at the first corner. The Japanese driver recorded his first Formula One result with tenth, though his race was marred when he slid into his Williams pit crew at his first pit stop, leaving two mechanics with minor injuries.

As for the last year’s champions, the Renault F1 team had a disastrous season finale. Both Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen suffered damage in the opening laps. The Italian was involved in a violently crash with Spyker’s Sakon Yamamoto after running across the grass at the Senna S. For Kovalainen, the Finn lost his front wing in the first corner incident. He managed to get this replaced in the pits but some laps later, had a heavy crash in Curva do Sol…

So after a dramatic season of racing, it was Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen that wins this season’s Formula One World Championship. The Finn took his sixth victory of the year – the most by any driver – and his first world title in seven years of trying! A fantastic result for the ‘Iceman’ especially when you consider that at one point in the season, the Ferrari driver was 26 points behind Lewis Hamilton…

It was also a fantastic result for Ferrari with a one-two finish at Interlagos. The Italian team had earlier won the constructors’ championship after rival McLaren were excluded over that controversy spygate verdict.

Better luck next time Lewis Hamilton. Your time will come. Congratulations to Kimi Raikkonen and the Scuderia Marlboro Ferrari team on winning the drivers’ and constructors’ titles this season.

Brazilian Grand Prix result, Interlagos, 71 laps

1. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1h28:15.270
2. MASSA Ferrari +1.4s
3. ALONSO McLaren +57.0
4. ROSBERG Williams +62.8s
5. KUBICA BMW +70.9s
6. HEIDFELD BMW +71.3s
7. HAMILTON McLaren +1 lap
8. TRULLI Toyota +1 lap
9. COULTHARD Red Bull +1 lap
10. NAKAJIMA Williams +1 lap
11. SCHUMACHER Toyota +1 lap
12. SATO Super Aguri +2 laps
13. LIUZZI Toro Rosso +2 laps
14. DAVIDSON Super Aguri +3 laps
R. SUTIL Spyker +28 laps
R. BARRICHELLO Honda +31 laps
R. KOVALAINEN Renault +36 laps
R. VETTEL Toro Rosso +37 laps
R. BUTTON Honda +51 laps
R. WEBBER Red Bull +57 laps
R. FISICHELLA Renault +69 laps
R. YAMAMOTO Spyker +69 laps

Fastest lap: RAIKKONEN, 1min. 12.445 secs.

Final World Championship standings, after round 17:

Drivers:

1. Raikkonen 110
2. Hamilton 109
3. Alonso 109
4. Massa 94
5. Heidfeld 61
6. Kubica 39
7. Kovalainen 30
8. Fisichella 21
9. Rosberg 20
10. Coulthard 14
11. Wurz 13
12. Webber 10
13. Trulli 8
14. Vettel 6
15. Button 6
16. R.Schumacher 5
17. Sato 4
18. Liuzzi 3
19. Sutil 1

Constructors:

1. Ferrari 204
2. BMW Sauber 101
3. Renault 51
4. Williams-Toyota 33
5. Red Bull-Renault 24
6. Toyota 13
7. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 8
8. Honda 6
9. Super Aguri-Honda 4
10. Spyker-Ferrari 1
11. McLaren-Mercedes EXC

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton is on the verge on winning this season’s title with a superb second position despite home crowd hero Felipe Massa taking pole position at Interlagos.

Hamilton will have two of his main championship contenders behind him with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen third followed by McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso. Both the Iceman and the double world champion will have a difficult job in stopping Hamilton winning his first drivers’ title.

Mark Webber produced an outstanding job with fifth in the Red Bull. It was the best qualifying result for the Australian this season, ahead of both BMW-Saubers. Nick Heidfeld pipped his team-mate Robert Kubica by a small margin of 0.048 seconds. Toyota’s Jarno Trulli is in eighth position with David Coulthard ninth and Nico Rosberg’s Williams completing the top ten.

Lewis is in a prime position with a front row start in Sunday’s title-deciding race. He holds a four-point lead in the standings and will be going for the Grand Prix win in order to take the championship in style. But if Massa takes the chequered flag after 71 laps around the bumpy and demanding Sao Paulo race circuit, Hamilton will still take the prize by finishing ahead of Raikkonen and Alonso.

For the double world champion, the Spaniard is disadvantage not only is he running the Mercedes-Benz engine for the second race in row – but he also has two rivals ahead of him on the grid. Alonso only chance of winning his third successive drivers’ title will be going for the outright win and hoping that Hamilton finishes at least fourth or lower. He needs to score four points more than his McLaren rival to win. A tall order for Fernando after a disappointing fourth position.

As for Kimi Raikkonen, it would have been ideal to start alongside his Ferrari team-mate Massa on the front of the Brazilian grid. But since Hamilton grabbed second position due to his stunning second split time in qualifying, the Finn was forced down to third. Nevertheless, the Ferraris seems to have a slight edge in outright speed and the Iceman will take comfort that he can overtake the leading McLaren with a run into the first corner. Nothing less than race victory will do for Kimi and he hopes that both McLarens will score fewer points to take the title.

For Felipe Massa – taking his second successive pole position in Brazil with a lap time of one minute, 11.931 seconds – the Brazilian will have a difficult job in deciding the outcome of the championship. The Ferrari driver needs to play a supporting role for his team-mate, in order for the Iceman to win the title. In addition, he must prevent Lewis in going for the race win. So, what will it be? Go for race victory or not? It is down to the Ferrari team to manage the situation.

Whatever the outcome, Lewis Hamilton is looking the favourite to win the title thanks to his important P2 on the grid. If he does do the job in hand, then Lewis will join the impressive list of British drivers that won the Formula One drivers’ title including Jim Clark, John Surtees, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill. In addition, he will become the first F1 rookie to win the title in his debut season driving a McLaren that last won the championship back in 1999 (when Mika Hakkinen took the honours). My advice for Lewis Hamilton is to don’t take unnecessary risks in the Brazilian Grand Prix like staying out too long on worn Bridgestone tyres (like in China). As the saying goes in motor racing: “To finish first, first you have to finish.” Do this Lewis and you will become champion of the world in Formula One.

Brazilian Grand Prix starting grid

1. MASSA Ferrari 1:11.931
2. HAMILTON McLaren 1:12.082
3. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1:12.322
4. ALONSO McLaren 1:12.356
5. WEBBER Red Bull 1:12.928
6. HEIDFELD BMW 1:13.081
7. KUBICA BMW 1:13.129
8. TRULLI Toyota 1:13.195
9. COULTHARD Red Bull 1:13.272
10. ROSBERG Williams 1:13.477
11. BARRICHELLO Honda 1:12.932
12. FISICHELLA Renault 1:12.968
13. VETTEL Toro Rosso 1:13.058
14. LIUZZI Toro Rosso 1:13.251
15. SCHUMACHER Toyota 1:13.315
16. BUTTON Honda 1:13.469
17. KOVALAINEN Renault 1:14.078
18. SATO Super Aguri 1:14.098
19. NAKAJIMA Williams 1:14.417
20. DAVIDSON Super Aguri 1:14.596
21. SUTIL Spyker 1:15.217
22. YAMAMOTO Spyker 1:15.487

This weekend is the big one. After sixteen rounds of this year’s ultra competitive Formula One season, three drivers are on the verge of winning the drivers’ title in Brazil. Will it be Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso or even Kimi Raikkonen who will take home the greatest prize in F1?

Well, let’s talk about the three contenders starting off with British sensational Lewis Hamilton. The Formula One rookie is currently leading the standings with 107 points, despite his mishap in China after staying out too long on extremely worn out Bridgestones… The McLaren driver has been leading the championship since the beginning and he looks the ideal candidate to become the sport’s youngest ever champion. Lewis needs to win the Brazilian Grand Prix or finish close behind his main rival, Fernando Alonso, to clinch his first ever title. If Hamilton manages to do this, it will be the greatest achievement ever for a Formula One rookie. In addition, the first British champion since Damon Hill back in 1996!

It’s fascinating to see the amount of press coverage, in particular the UK, on Lewis Hamilton this year. It’s great for the sport, as Formula One has become mainstream attracting new audience who are not fans of motor racing or F1. In addition, his achievements (nine consecutive podium finishes and four Grand Prix victories) is nothing short of amazement that has even inspired a whole generation of young British drivers – who are starting in karting – to become the next big thing. It is such a privilege that the ‘brand’ of Lewis is making F1 popular and if he wins the championship, it will be the greatest story in the modern era of motor racing.

His arch-rival in the championship is his very own team-mate Fernando Alonso. The double world champion is only four points behind but he has a slight chance of winning his triple title bar any incidents in Sao Paulo… Since voicing his opinions strongly to the Spanish press about his unfair treatment at McLaren all year, in particular his tense relationship with Ron Dennis (team boss at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) and Hamilton, Fernando has become the ‘villain’ of Formula One. Many fans have questioned his comments about giving the team ‘six tenths of a second’ since he joined from Renault that some believe he has become too arrogant. I must admit, Fernando should stop mouthing his selfish opinions and just get on with the job of winning races. Yes, you are threatened by your team-mate’s startlingly pace in the other silver car, but you have the racing experience to beat him! So shut up and just drive the wheels of that MP-22 and win the championship to silence all those doubters! That’s the best way to settle the score at McLaren, no matter if you want to get out as soon as possible…

As for the whole spygate controversy, that has rocked the politics of Formula One this season, the simple fact that Alonso and team test driver Pedro de la Rosa were involving in exchanging technical information with Ferrari makes me believe that Alonso wants to leave the team immediately. You can really sense the tense atmosphere in the pit garages at McLaren, as the Spaniard believes the team are not giving him the fair sporting treatment a double world champion deserves…

Right, lets focus on the third candidate who has an outside chance of winning the championship – Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. The ‘Iceman’ has had an uneasy time settling in the Ferrari team after Michael Schumacher announced his retirement late last year. It was a difficult trial period for the Finn and Scuderia, but since Kimi is regarded as the fastest driver in Formula One, it was fantastic to see his first victory in the opening Grand Prix in Melbourne. You would expect the Finn to romp to countless race wins and possibly the championship, but since that race win in Australia, Kimi seems to be struggling to adapt to his ‘aggressive’ driving style in the red car running on the hard (and control) Bridgestone tyres… But after a few races, he was back on form by winning Grands Prix and setting fastest laps. Raikkonen’s victory in Shanghai was crucial as he has a somewhat decent opportunity to win the title. Okay, he is seven points behind Lewis Hamilton and the odds are stacked against him, but he loves a challenge and if the Ferrari is fast on the bumpy Interlagos circuit, you can expect the Iceman to put on an impressive drive. Team-mate Felipe Massa could play a joker hand by providing support and going for the home victory himself! But in a recent interview, Massa would do whatever it takes to support Kimi’s title ambitions.

So who will win the ultimate prize in Formula One? To be honest, I would like to see Alonso or Raikkonen to triumph, as both have driven superbly all season. Yes, Lewis Hamilton is in the prime position to succeed and many fans will be supporting him to win it. But I really want to see Alonso winning his third title or perhaps Kimi’s first! We shall find out who will be spraying the champagne on Sunday evening. Let battle commence!

Three times World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb has closed to within four points of Marcus Grönholm after clinching a third consecutive Tour de Corse victory.

The Frenchman won nine of the 15 special stages to finish 23.7 seconds ahead of Grönholm’s Ford Focus. Dani Sordo finished a further 20 seconds behind.

It was Loeb’s seventh victory in 13 rallies and if the Frenchman continues his winning success by taking victory in the next three rally events, Loeb would retain his title.

In order for Grönholm to keep his title ambitions alive, he must finish ahead of the Citroen in the remaining events in this year’s competitive World Rally Championship.

The next rally will take place in Japan at the end of the month.