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Jenson Button leads Brawn GP front row in Melbourne

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Britain’s Jenson Button took his first pole position in three years after a sensational qualifying session in Albert Park, scene of this year’s Australian Grand Prix. Team-mate Rubens Barrichello will start alongside sealing the front row for the new Brawn GP team competing in its first Formula One race.

Although Brawn GP is effectively a renamed Honda operation, it is officially classed as a new outfit – which makes today’s result the first time a new entrant has taken pole position for its debut since the factory Mercedes-Benz team in the 1954 French Grand Prix.

This is a remarkable achievement as only a few weeks ago the squad’s future was secured when Ross Brawn completed his buyout from Honda. To lockout the front row in Melbourne, with a sixth tenths (of a second) advantage over Red Bull Racing’s Sebastien Vettel (who lines up third on the grid) makes this result even more special.

The margin between the Brawn GP pair was only separated by 0.305 seconds, revealing a close and private duel for the top spot. In fact, Button and Barrichello dominated both Q1 and Q2, with a clear advantage over their rivals in each of the qualifying session.

But in the all-important pole position shootout, it was Button who emerged on top with a lap time of one minute, 26. 202 seconds.

Red Bull Racing’s Sebastien Vettel will line up behind the Brawn GP pair while Robert Kubica demonstrated his KERS-free BMW Sauber is still quicker than the KERS-enabled car of team-mate Nick Heidfeld (fourth and eleventh places respectively).

Practice pacesetter Nico Rosberg could only manage fifth for Williams, ahead of Toyota’s Timo Glock and championship runner-up Felipe Massa in the Ferrari.

Jarno Trulli  puts the second Toyota in eighth position with past champion Kimi Raikkonen down in ninth place.

As for the home crowd favourite, Mark Webber was initially as high as third on the provisional grid following his first run in Q3, but over the course of the session, the Australian was pushed back down to tenth.

What about McLaren? How did the team fare in this all-important session in Melbourne? Well, as expected the team was unable to challenge for the top ten spots and world champion Lewis Hamilton was even forced to retire after a gearbox/drivetrain problem at the end of Q1. He will start his first race as a defending champion in a disastrous P15 on the grid… His team-mate Heikki Kovalainen didn’t suffer any technical problems but made little difference to boost the team, as the Finn could only P14.

Renault also lacked pace with the double world champion Fernando Alonso down in a disappointing P12, split between the BMW Sauber of Heidfeld and Kazuki Nakajima’s Williams.

As for the only rookie competing this year, Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi did a solid job to out-qualify his more experienced team-mate Sebastien Bourdais. The Swiss was 0.4 seconds faster over the four times Champ Car star and will line up on his maiden Formula One race in P16. As for the Frenchman, he will start last complaining of a lack of tyre temperatures.

So, an unusual grid for this Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. Pre-race favourite Jenson Button is on target to score a dream victory for Brawn GP following an exciting qualifying session. The speed from the Red Bull Racing team is also impressive in particular Vettel. As for Lewis Hamilton, this result is not what he needed as the new champion, so the challenges that lay ahead as he races through mid-pack will be fascinating. Roll on race day for the start of the new 2009 Formula One World Championship!

Qualifying times from Melbourne:

1.  Button      Brawn-Mercedes        1:26.202
2.  Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes        1:26.505
3.  Vettel      Red Bull-Renault      1:26.830
4.  Kubica      BMW-Sauber            1:26.914
5.  Rosberg     Williams-Toyota       1:26.973
6.  Glock       Toyota                1:26.975
7.  Massa       Ferrari               1:27.033
8.  Trulli      Toyota                1:27.127
9.  Raikkonen   Ferrari               1:27.163
10.  Webber      Red Bull-Renault      1:27.246
11.  Heidfeld    BMW-Sauber            1:25.504
12.  Alonso      Renault              1:25.605
13.  Nakajima    Williams-Toyota       1:25.607
14.  Kovalainen  McLaren-Mercedes      1:25.726
15.  Hamilton    McLaren-Mercedes      1:26.454
16.  Buemi       Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1:26.503
17.  Piquet      Renault               1:26.598
18.  Fisichella  Force India-Mercedes  1:26.677
19.  Sutil       Force India-Mercedes  1:26.742
20.  Bourdais    Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1:26.964

Formula One 2009 preview

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This coming weekend is the start of the new Formula One season and with new rules and regulations in place, this season’s world championship could be the most unpredictable in the six decades of the sport.

The major changes can be seen in the look of these single-seaters. In a bid to improve the spectacle of the sport – in terms of providing on-track entertainment, namely overtaking – the sport’s governing body (the FIA) have drafted in a set of new rules to cut the level of downforce therefore making it easier for cars to pass one another.

Gone are the winglets, chimneys, barge boards and ‘bull horns’ that made last year’s Formula One cars so aerodynamically sensitive to be replace with a cleaner and less aero sophisticated bodywork. Such a shame that the Overtaking Working Group (OWG) have made the new 2009-spec Formula One cars look way out of proportion with it’s large and wide front wing (with changeable flaps), slick tyres (to replace the grooves) and tall, narrow rear wing (less turbulence for the cars following behind).

Not to mention the new Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is there to provide an extra ‘boost’ to aid overtaking. I am quite sceptical about this new system. Not only for the safety aspect, as last winter a BMW Sauber mechanic was injured after suffering an electric shock, but also how it could improve the on-track racing. KERS is essentially a way of storing loss energy in deceleration and converting it into extra brake horsepower. It can be stored in either as a mechanical energy (a flywheel) or an electrical energy (as in a battery or super capacitor). The benefit with KERS is to give the driver that additional speed in making a passing manoeuvre. But I am worried that it will make the art of overtaking into whom presses the button sooner… But if you want to entertain the fans, then so be it.

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Bring on the noise!

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I went to see one of the most famous metal rock band in the world, Metallica, at the former home of the Millennium Dome this month. The gig itself was simply spectacular with impressive fireworks, lighting effects and of course, the epic guitar solos from the band.

The O2 Arena itself was also amazing as I’ve never been to the Millennium Dome before. The sheer number of bars, shops and restaurants at the venue heavily distracted me. So much in fact, I’ve missed one of the support bands on stage! Not to worry of course, as I had a seat allocated for me.

In one particular bar, a special tournament was being held offering the chance to play the new Guitar Hero: Metallica video game. I didn’t have the opportunity to play the music rhythm game, as it was more fun watching the other people performing on stage to the ultra tricky Metallica songs!

As for the real deal, it was fantastic to see Metallica performing their greatest hits in front of thousands of enthusiastic Metallica fans. The atmosphere was electric and I loved every moment of it!

The highlight was Cyanide, The End of The Line, One, Master of Puppets and of course, the epic Enter Sandman.

After the two-hour performance, I was left feeling more. And thanks to this ace link on the official website, you can now download the complete set list. I would recommend the FLAC format for the true sounding experience!

“I hear a witch!”

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Left 4 Dead is one of my favourite first-person shooter video game and thanks to my sister’s recommendation I just love playing this! It is highly addictive and when playing online via Xbox Live, this becomes the co-operative game with your close mates.

It’s simply not the case to go ‘guns-a-blazing’ and trying to prove to everyone that you’re invincible. As often than not, you will end up dead! So the true meaning of teamwork and sticking together when fighting off the hundreds of zombies is what makes Left 4 Dead so appealing.

In campaign mode, you play the role on one of the four Survivors in a post-apocalyptic world against the might of the Infected. These zombies have the ability to attack in hordes. In addition, unlike previous survival horror games with the likes of Dead Rising and Resident Evil, these zombies move fucking fast!

And to make it even more of a nightmare to stay alive, five special infected bosses are randomly placed around the levels making the journey to the checkpoint (or save house) that extra more difficult…

The Hunter is quite a deadly foe and it is best not to stand still in an area looking for trouble. His agile ability to leap from high places and his surprise attack will mean you get pinned down and ripped to shreds!

Another special infected to look out for is the Smoker. You can tell that the Smoker is about to attack by his coughing. He attacks by grabbing from afar with his long tongue. So you better watch out or else!

The Boomer can be quite a nuisance if you’re not being careful, as this bloated zombie will impair your vision when he vomits on to you! When this happens, a whole hordes of zombies attack so it is best to kill him the moment you see the fat ugly thing.

As for the Tank, he is the strongest special infected in Left 4 Dead. Killing him is a real challenge and thanks to his immense strength, he can throw a punch knocking out almost your entire energy/health bar in one go! To kill the Tank, you must work in a group and keep firing your weapon until he goes down.

But by the far the most dangerous is the Witch. Do not even think about approaching her! Her crying is one of the scariest parts of this game and if you happen to disturb her by firing your weapon or even flashing your light onto her, she will run at you at a rapid pace, knock you down and begin ripping you from limp to limp!

But without these five bosses, killing mass number of the undead will become tiring and ultimately boring. So kudos for Valve, the makers of the excellent Half Life 2 and Team Fortress 2, by adding these extra special infected to make Left 4 Dead fun, addictive and above all, entertaining.

Autosport International 2009

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My annual visit to Birmingham’s NEC to attend the Autosport International Show is often the highlight of the new year. As this is my opportunity to meet up with my good friends and see some racing cars/stars up close and personal.

The high point was of course was the F1 Racing stand and unique for this year, a special car display celebrating the past British Formula One world champions. From the likes of Jackie Stewart’s Tyrrell, James Hunt’s McLaren, to Nigel Mansell’s Williams and Lewis Hamilton’s 2008-spec McLaren. It’s amazing to see these cars all in the same area and it is fascinating how the advancement in technology and aerodynamics has changed the shape and look of the cars over the past five decades.

Another highlight was the David Coulthard stand, featuring a collection of the Scotsman race cars. Seeing DC’s little go-kart alongside his Formula Vauxhall and Williams-Renault is amazing and you have to wonder how much all these cars, race suits and helmets cost… I wasn’t surprised by the amount of extra security protecting the DC collection from the public.

Unlike my last visits, I wasn’t able to attend the Live Action Arena, as there was a mishap in purchasing the tickets. It didn’t matter anyway, as I spent this free time wandering around, taking photographs and asking for autographs from the racing stars.

This year’s Pistol Head performance car show was quite low-key. Instead of a large collection of exotic supercars, this year it was all about the BMW M3 and Porsche 911.

In fact, the whole Autosport show felt downscaled. The new layout didn’t help and after visiting the main attractions, you are left with little else to see… Which is a shame, as past events made this annual trip to the NEC worthwhile.

Still, at least I came away with some free stuff given out by those promo girls. So I shouldn’t complain too much!

Racing around Wembley

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Back in 2007, I went with a group of friends to see the Race of Champions at Wembley Stadium. The event was really entertaining as seeing the world’s best drivers from different disciplines of motor racing, competing in evenly matched cars, around a figure-of-eight circuit was a real highlight to the end of the year.

So for 2008, I invited some more friends who have yet to experience this sporting event and even though I purchased cheaper tickets online, the view from our seats was better than the year before!

From our seating position, you can see all of the track and with the competition so close, the atmosphere made the event felt more like a football match than a racing contest.

Just like last year, Team Germany won the Nations Cup thanks to the driving talent of seven times Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher and Grand Prix sensational Sebastian Vettel. In the main event, it was world rally champion Sebastien Loeb who took the honours, but the Frenchman had to fight hard against David Coulthard in the final.

The recently retiree Formula One racer was in a real competitive mood and it was quite surreal to see DC challenging the likes of Loeb, Schumacher and (Carl) Edwards, as previous years Coulthard would have been knocked out in the very first round…

In addition, DC managed to damage his race car throughout the night, including his Red Bull Racing Formula One car! During his demo run, the Scotsman performed a  ‘doughnut’ but as he was spinning around creating lots of smoke and noise for his fans, the car was slowly edging closer towards the wall…The inevitable happened and I still remember the crowd reaction when the front wing got knocked off against the barriers!

Speaking of demonstrations, the pre-event promotional was the ‘man versus machine’ challenge with British Olympic winner Chris Hoy racing his bike around the track against British Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren. Unfortunately, due to the icy track conditions the organisers decided to cancel the event and instead put Chris and Lewis in an open-top Mercedes and perform a parade lap in front of home crowd. It was a real shame, as I wanted to see this duel but Chris had the last laugh as later that evening, the Olympic hero was made BBC Sports Personality of the Year, beating his rival Hamilton!

So a great day out at Wembley and I was pleased to hear that my friends loved every moment of it. The on-track entertainment certainly kept our enthusiasm up despite the winter cold and we look forward to attend the next Race of Champions.

New look for F1 2009… and it’s ugly!

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Williams F1 2009мебели

The racing season maybe over for another year but Formula One never stops and with new rules being implemented for 2009, the first signs of the new look to the single-seater racing car have being unveiled during testing at Barcelona.

In a bid to improve the spectacle and make overtaking easier, the sport’s governing body have drafted in a set of new aerodynamics regulations – as well as reintroducing slick tyres – to Formula One next year.

Williams was the first team to incorporate the new 2009-spec aero kit with a hybrid version of last year’s FW30. The front wing has been lowered in height and extended in width in a bid to get rid of the understeer effect when following another car. The driver can actually adjust the wing angle with a lever or switch inside the cockpit to change the level of downforce if needed.

As for the rear wing, the increase in height and a reduction in the width will create more drag, so that the slipstream effect can be achieved. In addition, the level of grip has been reduced to make it more of a challenge for the driver.

More on the 2009-aero spec can be seen in this detailed technical drawing taken from Autosport magazine (shown below). The mock-up of the Ferrari looks reasonable and in reality, the Willliams F1 car seems good.

Autosport magazine F1 2009

But prepare to be shocked with what BMW Sauber has come up with during the first week of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya.

BMW Sauber 2009

BMW Sauber 2009 2

BMW Sauber 2009 3

This hybrid BMW Sauber looks horrible! The front wing is out of proportion, no thanks to the retro-looking flat nose that magnifies the appalling mess… As for rear wing, it looks tiny when you view the Formula One car from the back. Sure, it is refreshing to see slick tyres back on a racing car after ten years running on grooves, but somehow the overall appearance is difficult to consume.

I really hope the FIA have done the correct approach in making these cars easier to overtake as the look behind these Formula One cars are ghastly. Perhaps I should hold back my first impressions when all the teams have sorted out their aerodynamics for the new season in time for the first race in Melbourne. But it’s hard for the designers to improve on the limitations that have been set in the rulebook…

Bauer is back! 24: REDEMPTION and new series update

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Bauer 24 Redemption

Welcome back the all-America action hero that is Jack Bauer. Next week on Sky 1 (on November 24th no less!) a special two-hour prequel movie that bridges the gap between Days 6 and 7 of 24 returns to the screen.

In 24: REDEMPTION we catch up with Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) on the African continent where he has sought solace in missionary work. He soon finds himself in the midst of a bloody uprising in the fictitious African nation of Sangala where a ruthless dictator is drafting innocent children to serve as soldiers in his army. As the vicious Colonel Dubaku (Hakeem Kae-Kazim) descends on an orphanage in search of recruits, Jack enters into a one-man crusade at the behest of his friend Carl Benton (Robert Carlyle) to rescue the children and get them to safety.

Check out the new trailer and the behind-the-scene photographs to 24: REDEMPTION on the Sky 1 website. It all looks really exciting and I for one cannot wait for some Bauer action! As for the regular television series, read this full extract on what to expect in Day 7. WARNING: contains spoilers!

24 Day 7

It seems like it’s been about five years since we last caught up with 24’s Jack Bauer. When last we saw him, he was staring off into the distance at the very edge of a cliff… and has remained doing so since last winter’s writers strike delayed the start of 24’s Day Seven by a year.

However, fans of 24 will get a glimpse into the life of Jack Bauer this fall when FOX airs the two-hour 24 prequel telefilm, 24: Exile, which follows Jack in Africa as he takes on the ripped-from-the-headlines issue of child soldiers.

Fans at the 24 panel at Comic-Con were treated not only to 24: Exile’s trailer–which features lots of familiar faces including Kiefer Sutherland, Peter MacNicol, and Powers Boothe, but also first female president Cherry Jones, Jon Voight, Robert Carlisle, and Gil Bellows–but also to a look at a full scene from the prequel movie, in which Jack shepherds a group of African children to the US embassy but finds himself caught in a full-blown gunfight on a crowded street. In addition to the gunfire, it’s also a deeply emotional scene, in which Jack is forced to tell a sobbing African child that his beloved teacher, Mr. Benton, sacrificed himself in order to ensure their safety.

Kiefer Sutherland and Carlos Bernard, who returns as presumed dead Tony Almeida for Day Seven, were on hand, along with executive producers Jon Cassar, Howard Gordon, David Fury, Manny Coto, and new writing staff additions Brandon Braga and Carlos Coto. Gordon explained that the “genesis” of 24: Exile originally came about when they were exploring doing some webisodes or mobisodes for 24 and he and Sutherland began riffing about an African storyline that had been discarded from a previous season; those discussions ended up informing what would become 24: Exile. “It turned out to be a very good idea,” said Gordon. “Day Six ended with Jack at the edge of the cliff, a very existential moment… but an emotional bridge was missing [from the season finale].”

Cassar said that the studio originally intended to shoot for three days in South Africa and then shoot the rest of the two-hour Exile in Simi Valley, California, which would have been a “hard cheat.” FOX ended up telling them to shoot the entire thing in South Africa, which was “tough,” as they had to get a new crew and new actors, but Cassar admitted that the process was “pretty exciting… being there gave it a whole new feeling.”

For Sutherland, 24: Exile was definitely exciting. “It was arguably one of the best scripts we’ve ever had,” said Sutherland. “We weren’t racing against some clock to get it to air.”

As for the issue of the strike, Manny Coto said that it was a mixed blessing but it “allowed us the freedom and creativity to make the season even deeper.”

As for the depth of Day Seven, we do know that it involves the first female president of the United States, who will be played by celebrated Broadway actress Cherry Jones, and the return of fan favourite character Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard).

For his part, Bernard says he jumped at the opportunity to work with the 24 again, due to the “amazing mixture of talented people who make this show” and said he had the “funniest year yet working on the show.”

So what does it mean that Tony has seemingly returned from the dead? Gordon joked that it “very well could be a measure of our desperation that he’s back,” and noted that on paper at least Tony had been killed four times over the series’ run. Producers David Fury and Manny Coto, however, refused to accept Tony’s final death (which seemed to be sticking), saying that they didn’t believe that Tony was dead; even Gordon admitted that he didn’t love the way that Tony had died.

For Sutherland, Tony’s death was a reminder that none of the characters is safe. “The most difficult thing during the run of the show,” said Sutherland, “is working with talented actors who leave the show. Everything has to service the story. When Howard Gordon brought up that Tony was coming back again, I asked, ‘How?'”

The secret behind Tony’s return will be a major component of Day Seven. Sutherland says the method by which he’s returned to the series is “so clever” and “very 24.” The back-story will be a function of how Tony didn’t actually die and what was done behind people’s backs in order to secretly keep him alive and fake his death. “I think the writers did an amazing job,” said Sutherland.

As for what to expect from Day Seven, launching in January, Sutherland joked that Tony will die. But more honestly, Sutherland said, “We’re not trying to reinvent the show… [But] make it better, tighter, and smarter and that’s hopefully what you’ll see in the seventh season.”

As for Jack, “he’s trying to be better,” said Sutherland. New cast additions include Cherry Jones, Jon Voight, Annie Wersching (who will play Jack’s new partner, a tough-as-nails FBI agent who could be perceived as a “female Jack Bauer”), Rhys Coiro, and Janeane Garofalo.

Audiences will see Jack Bauer have to answer for the torture he’s inflicted on several characters throughout the series’ run. David Fury says that they are never “endorsing torture” but are showing that Jack’s use of torture will have consequences. “It’s kind of necessary for people to get hurt,” said Fury about the series.

What we won’t be seeing in Day Seven, however, is Jack pausing to grab a cup of coffee, use the toilet, or grab a sandwich. In fact, Sutherland and Gordon revealed that they had shot a scene in a previous season in which Jack was seen coming out of the restroom before a raid and the network cut the scene. “Whenever they cut to the White House,” joked Sutherland, “Jack is in the bathroom. And not only is he peeing, he’s having a drink and getting something to eat.”

As for favourite episodes, Sutherland diplomatically says that he’s “optimistic about that future” and therefore they haven’t made his favourite yet but that 24: Exile is “certainly up there.” He’s also extremely proud of episodes 8-11 of Day Seven. (His coolest moment on the series to date, however was when he “chopped off that guy’s head off in Season Two.”)

Bernard seconded the notion, saying that his favourite was definitely from Day Seven. As for Tony being evil, Bernard said that the transformation for Tony from hero to villain is “very organic from where his story has gone since the beginning.” Sutherland says that the first scene he shot with Bernard this season, “I got to shoot at him and tackle him. I loved it.”

So what’s going on with those rumours of a 24 feature film? Gordon says that the basic consensus is that “while the series is on the air, I don’t want to mess with a good thing,” but that a 24 feature will happen when the series wraps.

It all sounds great. Still no news on the exact date when Day 7 returns to the British screen but it is being shown in America from January 11th 2009. Hopefully, Sky 1 will be showing the new series not far behind so we can experience Jack Bauer’s new stressful day.

Massa takes victory in Brazil, as Hamilton wins the title in dramatic finale

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Hamilton champion 2008

In a dramatic Brazilian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has finally achieved his dream of winning the Formula One World Championship with a tense and exciting final few laps at Sao Paulo. Title rival Felipe Massa did the best he could by leading from start to finish in a rain-affected Brazilian Grand Prix, but race victory was still not enough as Hamilton was able to come home in fifth position… just!

By winning the title, Lewis Hamilton becomes the youngest world champion in the history of Formula One motor racing. He also joins the list of great British drivers who have won the world championship including Mike Hawthorn, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill.

It was McLaren’s first drivers’ title since Mika Hakkinen back in 1999 and the first for a British driver since Hill back in 1996.

But in the final two laps to the chequered flag, with steady rain falling down, it could have gone wrong for Hamilton as he lost a vital track position when Sebastian Vettel passed him.

At that point, the championship was heading towards Felipe Massa, and when the Ferrari took the chequered flag, everyone believed he did the impossible by winning the drivers’ title in style. But on the final lap as Lewis was desperately trying to pass the Toro Rosso of Vettel, Toyota’s Timo Glock – who was ahead and still running on dry Bridgestone on a slippery surface – was unable to stay on track and dropped down from fourth to sixth, handing the title to Hamilton.

Ferrari still clinched the constructors’ title, with Massa winning the Brazilian Grand Prix and team-mate Kimi Raikkonen in third. Renault’s Fernando Alonso drove a solid race challenging the Ferraris and ended the season with a superb second position.

The start was delayed by ten minutes after a brief, but heavy, downpour hitting the Interlagos track just before the mechanics were due to clear the grid. Although the sunshine returned within a few minutes, parts of the race track were damp. And deciding not to take risks, the twenty-car field opted to start the race on intermediates.

As the five red lights went out, Massa headed into the Senna S still in the lead followed by Jarno Trulli, Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton. Behind there was chaos as Nico Rosberg tapped David Coulthard into a spin, with the Red Bull Racing swiping Rosberg’s Williams team-mate Kazuki Nakajima. Coulthard was out on the spot and it was a sad and early end to his Formula One career.

Renault’s Nelson Piquet Jr was also forced to retire in his home event in a separate first lap incident.

The Safety Car made its appearance and stayed out for three laps while Coulthard’s car was retrieved from a dangerous position. When the field got going again, Massa edged away at the front as team-mate Raikkonen began to apply pressure on Toyota’s Trulli for second, with Hamilton running in a safe fourth.

His McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen lost out to both Vettel and Alonso in the opening lap as the Finn tried to protect Hamilton. Heikki did get past Fernando at the restart, only for the McLaren to run wide and losing the position again to the Renault.

As the track began to dry out, some teams opted to gamble by running slick tyres. This worked beautifully for Giancarlo Fisichella as the Force India team pitted the Italian at the right moment thereby gaining track position. By the time the rest of the field made its switch to dry Bridgestones, Fisichella was up to fifth, in between Raikkonen and Trulli.

Vettel and Alonso also benefitted in pitting early and the pair was promoted up the order in second and third respectively. Race leader Massa waited until the next stop while Hamilton stayed out one lap too long. Lewis’ caution proved costly, as he rejoined down in seventh place…

Hamilton soon passed sixth-placed driver Trulli, when the Toyota slid wide into the Senna S, but it was not until lap 17 that he was back in the all-important top five race positions when he passes Fisichella at the same corner.

The McLaren driver then gained an extra place when Vettel made an early second pit stop on lap 27. Although the Toro Rosso was temporary in second when the other cars made their final pit stops, Vettel’s final third visit to the pits for new tyres and fuel dropped him back to fifth behind Hamilton.

Meanwhile at the front, Massa was comfortably pulling away from Alonso and heading for the race victory. Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was slowly closing in on Alonso, while Hamilton was still driving cautiously in fourth.

But then the rain showers returned with only seven laps to the finish! Not taking any risks except for Toyota, everyone pitted for intermediates.

By staying out on a wet track with slick tyres, Timo Glock moved into fourth, ahead of Hamilton and Vettel.

It looked like title was still heading to Hamilton’s way until he ran wide at the final corner when BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica decided to un-lap himself! That also let Vettel through and suddenly it appeared that the title had slipped from Hamilton once again.

But within sight of the chequered flag, Hamilton’s luck changed as Glock was losing grip (as much as 17 seconds on the final lap alone!) and it allowed the McLaren to sweep past and back into fifth position. By that time, the Ferrari team was celebrating Felipe Massa’s championship success, but the mood quickly changed as it became clear that it was Lewis Hamilton who won the title.

Poor Massa. The young Brazilian believed he did the job with pole position and race victory. But to lose out by a single point, that is deeply distressing… Though Felipe should be proud of his achievements this season and he did put in a strong performance in the final race.

Heikki Kovalainen finished seventh for McLaren while Jarno Trulli finished in the last point-scoring position with eighth for Toyota, ahead of Mark Webber’s Red Bull Racing and the BMW Sauber of Nick Heidfeld.

So congratulations to Lewis Hamilton for winning the 2008 Formula One World Championship. The 23-year-old Briton had been dreaming this day would come since he drove for the Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes team back last year. Back in 2007, he missed out on the chance to become world champion when he was feeling the pressure from then team-mate Alonso and eventual winner Raikkonen. Fast-forward twelve months on, Lewis has finally accomplished his objective but he must be feeling pretty anxious in those final two laps in Brazil!

Hard luck Felipe Massa, but he will come back stronger and more determined than before in 2009. The Brazilian may not have won the world title, but by finishing first with team-mate Raikkonen third, the Scuderia Ferrari team have achieved their 16th constructors’ title.

And so ends a dramatic and controversial season of Formula One racing. We have seen new winners, classic races and exciting moments in this sport and thanks to the talent of Lewis Carl Hamilton – we have a British world champion.

Race results from the Brazilian Grand Prix, Sao Paulo:

1. Massa Ferrari 1h34:11:435
2. Alonso Renault +13.298
3. Raikkonen Ferrari +16.235
4. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari +38.011
5. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes +38.907
6. Glock Toyota +44.368
7. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes +55.074
8. Trulli Toyota +1:08.433
9. Webber Red Bull-Renault +1:19.666
10. Heidfeld BMW Sauber +1 lap
11. Kubica BMW Sauber +1 lap
12. Rosberg Williams-Toyota +1 lap
13. Button Honda +1 lap
14. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1 lap
15. Barrichello Honda +1 lap
16. Sutil Force India-Ferrari +2 laps
17. Nakajima Williams-Toyota +2 laps
18. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari +2 laps

Fastest lap: Massa, 1:13.376

Not classified/retirements:

Piquet Renault 1 lap
Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 1 lap

World Championship standings, round 18:

Drivers:

1. Hamilton 98
2. Massa 97
3. Raikkonen 75
4. Kubica 75
5. Alonso 61
6. Heidfeld 60
7. Kovalainen 53
8. Vettel 35
9. Trulli 31
10. Glock 25
11. Webber 21
12. Piquet 19
13. Rosberg 17
14. Barrichello 11
15. Nakajima 9
16. Coulthard 8
17. Bourdais 4
18. Button 3

Constructors:

1. Ferrari 172
2. McLaren-Mercedes 151
3. BMW Sauber 135
4. Renault 80
5. Toyota 56
6. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 39
7. Red Bull-Renault 29
8. Williams-Toyota 26
9. Honda 14

Quantum of Solace review

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Daniel Craig Quantum of Solace

After the success of Casino Royale, where Commander James Bond earned his ‘double-0’ status and the license to kill, the direct sequel to the 2006 hit film that is Quantum of Solace proves to be a big disappointment.

The twenty-second Bond film from EON Productions, picks up almost an hour after the final scene in Casino Royale, where 007 is involved in a thrilling car chase.

This action sequence seems to set the mood in Quantum of Solace with exciting chases, gun action and impressive stunts. Unfortunately, after this opening scene the film lacks the thrill and drama due to the poor pacing. It doesn’t help that the story continues from Casino Royale, where Bond is seeking revenge for the death of Vesper Lynd.

Daniel Craig once again plays the British secret agent and his performance continues to impress. He could easily be ranked – along with Sean Connery – as the best portray of Ian Fleming’s spy. Though it is quite remarkable that the Bond character played by Craig has changed so much from Casino Royale to the Quantum of Solace.

In the first film, he still had the charisma from the other previous Bonds but with a more gritty realistic side to the character. In the Quantum of Solace, it seems the writers just couldn’t decide if he’s motivated by revenge or seeking solitude. Craig’s second appearance reveals a more arrogant attitude that he becomes barely recognisable as Bond anymore… It seems he has became Jason Bourne and this is not surprising, as most of the action sequences feel likes it is taken from the Bourne films.

Some of these scenes do look good with quick editing/camera work followed by brutal, devastatingly fistfights and chases. But this style of filming just doesn’t fit in the style of previous Bond films. I believe director Marc Foster, who was behind such acclaim hits with Finding Neverland and The Kite Runner, wanted to continue the gritty feel set by Casino Royale, but it fails to generate excitement.

As for the supporting cast, Dame Judi Dench returns as M but she feels unease by Bond’s action as he travels around the world searching for answers behind the secret organisation known as Quantum.

Dominic Greene, a member of this secret organisation, is played by the award-winning French actor Mathieu Amalric. Greene’s idea of taking control over Bolivia’s water supply can be seen as quite tame by evil villain standards but he remains a threat to 007.

Olga Kurylenko plays Camille Montes, a Russian-Bolivian agent who also has a grudge against Greene and Quantum. When she and Bond meet, the chemistry is there and it certainly sizzles up on the big screen. Kurylenko is no typical Bond girl as she is capable of some action and was able to demonstrate this in some scenes with some brutal fighting sequences.

As for Gemma Arterton, playing the role of MI6 agent Strawberry Fields, her cameo was quite brief and not that memorable unfortunately.

In summary, the Quantum of Solace promises so much but fails to deliver in terms of drama and spectacle. With a running time of 106 minutes, this is the shortest Bond film in the series. I really hope James Bond returns in the next film back to his truth self and not a clone of Jason Bourne following this overhyped and disappointing film.