Frankly, everyone saw it coming.
By winning the Brazilian Grand Prix, and with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso finishing seventh and second respectively, Kimi Raikkonen had emerged as the winner of this year's Formula One World Championship.
Before the race, Raikkonen was one of three drivers still in the hunt for the title, albeit with the slimmest of chances. The only way for him to win the title is to finish at least second, and hope that Hamilton and Alonso finishing way down the order.
In the end, the results were enough to propel him to the top of the championship, a position he has not taken since the third race of the season, with a single point. Hamilton and Alonso both have 109 points, but Hamilton is classified second due to count back of results.
With two races to go, Hamilton had a 12-point lead on Alonso, and 17-point lead on Raikkonen. All he had to do in the Chinese Grand Prix was to outscore both of them to secure his first title.
But when the team hesitated in bringing him in for a tyre change, he lost the race lead to Raikkonen and, worst still, spun while entering the pit. No points scored.
And before the final race, Hamilton's lead on Alonso and Raikkonen were 4 points and 7 points respectively. But when Alonso decided not to yield on the opening lap, Hamilton had to go off-track, and his excursion dropped him down to eighth. And when his gearbox stopped functioning properly on lap eight, he dropped all the way down to 18th, almost a minute behind the leading duo of Ferrari.
With Felipe Massa leading and Raikkonen in second place, it was not enough to secure Raikkonen's championship. And with all eyes on Ferrari on how to allow Raikkonen to take the lead without violating FIA's ban on team orders, Ferrari showed why it's one of the shrewdest teams in Formula One ever.
Their solution? Bringing in Massa earlier for fuel and let Raikkonen run with extremely low amount of fuel on a clear track. These extra "flying" laps were enough to give Raikkonen a 2-second lead when he rejoined the track after his second pit-stop.
And that was that.
As the Ferrari drivers and Jean Todt were celebrating on the podium, you would be surprised to see who appears to be the happiest guy out there.
Yes, the guy with the biggest smile is one Fernando Alonso Diaz.
Apparently for getting the job done.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
My Mind-boggling Brain Power
On March 22, I predicted that:
"1. Kimi Raikkonen will be this year's World Champion; and
2. Lewis Hamilton will win (at least) a race this season."
And on October 17, I wrote that:
"And in a tumultuous season for the McLaren team, it wouldn't be surprising to see its feuding drivers taking each other out, for Raikkonen to emerge with an improbable title."
Well, I never have any luck when my predictions hinge on money (i.e., gambling). But somehow I have nailed all of the above.
Perhaps I should consider a switch in my career ...
"1. Kimi Raikkonen will be this year's World Champion; and
2. Lewis Hamilton will win (at least) a race this season."
And on October 17, I wrote that:
"And in a tumultuous season for the McLaren team, it wouldn't be surprising to see its feuding drivers taking each other out, for Raikkonen to emerge with an improbable title."
Well, I never have any luck when my predictions hinge on money (i.e., gambling). But somehow I have nailed all of the above.
Perhaps I should consider a switch in my career ...
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Setting the Stage for McLaren's Demise?
For the diehard racing fans, the results of last Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix just couldn't be better.
Before the race, Lewis Hamilton was leading the Championship standings over Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen by 12 and 17 points respectively. To be crowned the World Champion, all he had to do was to finish the race in front of both of them.
And for those who hoped the title to be decided in the final round in Brazil, the best scenario would be for Raikkonen finishing ahead of Alonso, with Hamilton not scoring any point.
And boy their wishes did come true.
Hamilton started on pole, and was leading comfortably early on. For nearly an hour or so, he was the virtual World Champion on the track, and rumours started circulating in the paddocks that his disgruntled teammate Alonso will drive for another team in the next RACE, having failed to defend his title.
But disaster struck when Hamilton finally had to pit to replace his rapidly deteriorating rear tyres. In a virtuoso display of his exceptional talent, Hamilton has not made any mistake this season. But he finally did at the most inopportune moment. The rear tyres gave way just as he was negotiating the tight pitlane entrance, and he was stranded in the gravel trap.
And as has been written in the script, Raikkonen took this opportunity with both hands and scored his fifth victory of the season. Alonso was promptly second.
While Hamilton remains top of the standings with 107 points, Alonso is just four points behind with 103, and Raikkonen is third with 100. All three are in contention for this year's world title.
And in a tumultuous season for the McLaren team, it wouldn't be surprising to see its feuding drivers taking each other out, for Raikkonen to emerge with an improbable title.
Before the race, Lewis Hamilton was leading the Championship standings over Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen by 12 and 17 points respectively. To be crowned the World Champion, all he had to do was to finish the race in front of both of them.
And for those who hoped the title to be decided in the final round in Brazil, the best scenario would be for Raikkonen finishing ahead of Alonso, with Hamilton not scoring any point.
And boy their wishes did come true.
Hamilton started on pole, and was leading comfortably early on. For nearly an hour or so, he was the virtual World Champion on the track, and rumours started circulating in the paddocks that his disgruntled teammate Alonso will drive for another team in the next RACE, having failed to defend his title.
But disaster struck when Hamilton finally had to pit to replace his rapidly deteriorating rear tyres. In a virtuoso display of his exceptional talent, Hamilton has not made any mistake this season. But he finally did at the most inopportune moment. The rear tyres gave way just as he was negotiating the tight pitlane entrance, and he was stranded in the gravel trap.
And as has been written in the script, Raikkonen took this opportunity with both hands and scored his fifth victory of the season. Alonso was promptly second.
While Hamilton remains top of the standings with 107 points, Alonso is just four points behind with 103, and Raikkonen is third with 100. All three are in contention for this year's world title.
And in a tumultuous season for the McLaren team, it wouldn't be surprising to see its feuding drivers taking each other out, for Raikkonen to emerge with an improbable title.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The Good Old Reilly
I have said before that Rick Reilly is one of my favourite writers. Meanwhile, I'm also fascinated by knuckleball pitchers in baseball. So when Reilly wrote about Tim Wakefield, the star knuckleball pitcher of the Boston Red Sox in the September 10 issue of Sports Illustrated, I just couldn't be happier. And surely enough, it's a wonderful piece of work. So I am taking the liberty to quote some of the most interesting paragraphs as follows.
"Catch as Catch Can
You say you're 41 years old and your fastball is slower than gums receding and your pitches are so wild people get hurt catching you?
Then you must be Tim Wakefield, the Red Sox righthander who gives every fettuccine-armed wannabe major league pitcher hope. His fastball is 75 mph. His curve takes 11 minutes to get home. Yet, through Sunday, he had 16 wins, and nobody in the big leagues had more ...
Wakefield's knuckler drops, doodles, flips and foozles. Some nights it does a Brazilian samba on the way to the plate. It doesn't spin, but it does just about everything else. It's like trying to hit an overcaffeinated moth.
"There are two theories on hitting a knuckleball," famed hitting instructor Charlie Lau once said. "Unfortunately, neither of them works" ...
Actually, handling a knuckleball is easy, as former catch Bob Uecker once pointed out: "Just wait till it stops rolling and pick it up."
The Red Sox have a guy on the roster - Doug Mirabelli - whose only job is to catch Wakefield, which is like saying his only job is to fill the Grand Canyon with a slotted spoon. "It's a very empty feeling to think you're squeezing the ball and then to realize it's not in there," Mirabelli says. "You panic. You jump up and start to run, but you have no idea which way to go."
Nice guy, Mirabelli. Can't hit a lick, though - .232 lifetime. Boston traded him to San Diego two years ago and gave the job to a hotshot hitter, Josh Bard. He lasted five starts with Wakefield, who went 1-4. Bard let more balls get by him than a blind goalie. The Red Sox had to go hat in hand to the Padres to get back Mirabelli for Bard; Mirabelli was hitting .182 in San Diego, and Boston still had to throw in a good reliever and 100 grand ...
In 2006, Boston signed John Flaherty as a backup catcher. His first spring training game, he caught Wakefield. The next day he retired.
As for Wakefield, it doesn't look as if he'll ever retire. He missed a start with a bad back last Friday but his arm looks like it could go on forever. Knuckleball god Hoyt Wilhelm threw the pitch until he was 49; Phil Niekro did it till he was 48. Asked if he might try to last until he's 50 - which would be his 24th season - Wakefield answers, "Why not?""
We the knuckleheads would definitely love to see Wakefield keep going and going strong. And I the Reilly lover would also definitely love to see him keep writing pieces as excellent as this one.
Which I believe he definitely will.
"Catch as Catch Can
You say you're 41 years old and your fastball is slower than gums receding and your pitches are so wild people get hurt catching you?
Then you must be Tim Wakefield, the Red Sox righthander who gives every fettuccine-armed wannabe major league pitcher hope. His fastball is 75 mph. His curve takes 11 minutes to get home. Yet, through Sunday, he had 16 wins, and nobody in the big leagues had more ...
Wakefield's knuckler drops, doodles, flips and foozles. Some nights it does a Brazilian samba on the way to the plate. It doesn't spin, but it does just about everything else. It's like trying to hit an overcaffeinated moth.
"There are two theories on hitting a knuckleball," famed hitting instructor Charlie Lau once said. "Unfortunately, neither of them works" ...
Actually, handling a knuckleball is easy, as former catch Bob Uecker once pointed out: "Just wait till it stops rolling and pick it up."
The Red Sox have a guy on the roster - Doug Mirabelli - whose only job is to catch Wakefield, which is like saying his only job is to fill the Grand Canyon with a slotted spoon. "It's a very empty feeling to think you're squeezing the ball and then to realize it's not in there," Mirabelli says. "You panic. You jump up and start to run, but you have no idea which way to go."
Nice guy, Mirabelli. Can't hit a lick, though - .232 lifetime. Boston traded him to San Diego two years ago and gave the job to a hotshot hitter, Josh Bard. He lasted five starts with Wakefield, who went 1-4. Bard let more balls get by him than a blind goalie. The Red Sox had to go hat in hand to the Padres to get back Mirabelli for Bard; Mirabelli was hitting .182 in San Diego, and Boston still had to throw in a good reliever and 100 grand ...
In 2006, Boston signed John Flaherty as a backup catcher. His first spring training game, he caught Wakefield. The next day he retired.
As for Wakefield, it doesn't look as if he'll ever retire. He missed a start with a bad back last Friday but his arm looks like it could go on forever. Knuckleball god Hoyt Wilhelm threw the pitch until he was 49; Phil Niekro did it till he was 48. Asked if he might try to last until he's 50 - which would be his 24th season - Wakefield answers, "Why not?""
We the knuckleheads would definitely love to see Wakefield keep going and going strong. And I the Reilly lover would also definitely love to see him keep writing pieces as excellent as this one.
Which I believe he definitely will.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
They Said It
"He kicked the longest field goal in history, 106 yards. Hey, it was one for the record books."
- Said Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens on kicker Nick Folk, when the rookie twice nailed 53-yard field-goal as time expired to give the Cowboys an improbable 25-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills, after the Bills called a time-out just before he nailed the first one.
- Said Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens on kicker Nick Folk, when the rookie twice nailed 53-yard field-goal as time expired to give the Cowboys an improbable 25-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills, after the Bills called a time-out just before he nailed the first one.
Sayonara, Abe!
Sadly, Norick Abe has passed away at the age of 32.
The three-time Moto GP race winner was killed when his scooter struck a truck in front of him which was doing an illegal U-turn on a highway.
Abe was probably the most easily recognisable rider of Moto GP. While bike riders give us an impression of being "outlawed" and "wild", Abe was the only rider who let his long hair flying out of his helmet untucked.
And he was unusually tall for a bike rider (and for a Japanese as well). You just couldn't help noticing him on the track.
Although he hasn't raced in Moto GP since the end of 2004, he remains active in the Japanese motorcycling scene, and is regarded as one of the best riders Japan has ever produced.
With the decline of Makoto Tamada and the constant underperformance of Shinya Nakano, the death of Abe, I fear, may be the final blow for Japanese riders in Moto GP.
Daijiro Kato was hailed as Japan's greatest hope when he won the 250cc World Championship in 2001. In 2002, he was promoted to Moto GP and promptly won the pole at the Pacific Grand Prix. Sadly, he was killed in the first race of 2003 at his home circuit in Suzuka.
With two of its best riders having passed away in a span of five years, Japan is now faced with the same predicament that Great Britain had some 30 years ago.
In a five-year span, Great Britain lost three of its most promising Formula One drivers in Roger Williamson, Tony Brise and Tom Pryce. It would take more than 10 years for another British driver, Nigel Mansell, to emerge as a constant front-runner.
RIP, Abe.
The three-time Moto GP race winner was killed when his scooter struck a truck in front of him which was doing an illegal U-turn on a highway.
Abe was probably the most easily recognisable rider of Moto GP. While bike riders give us an impression of being "outlawed" and "wild", Abe was the only rider who let his long hair flying out of his helmet untucked.
And he was unusually tall for a bike rider (and for a Japanese as well). You just couldn't help noticing him on the track.
Although he hasn't raced in Moto GP since the end of 2004, he remains active in the Japanese motorcycling scene, and is regarded as one of the best riders Japan has ever produced.
With the decline of Makoto Tamada and the constant underperformance of Shinya Nakano, the death of Abe, I fear, may be the final blow for Japanese riders in Moto GP.
Daijiro Kato was hailed as Japan's greatest hope when he won the 250cc World Championship in 2001. In 2002, he was promoted to Moto GP and promptly won the pole at the Pacific Grand Prix. Sadly, he was killed in the first race of 2003 at his home circuit in Suzuka.
With two of its best riders having passed away in a span of five years, Japan is now faced with the same predicament that Great Britain had some 30 years ago.
In a five-year span, Great Britain lost three of its most promising Formula One drivers in Roger Williamson, Tony Brise and Tom Pryce. It would take more than 10 years for another British driver, Nigel Mansell, to emerge as a constant front-runner.
RIP, Abe.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Ron Dennis' Miscalculation
The McLaren team is experiencing a mixed emotion.
On one hand, its rookie driver Lewis Hamilton is likely to become the first driver to win the Formula One Championship title in his rookie season. On the other, it has been fined $100 million and docked all the Constructor's points for its part in the spying scandal involving Ferrari.
And to rub salt into the wounds, its star driver Fernando Alonso is scarcely on speaking terms with team boss Ron Dennis because:
a) he hasn't got the support that he expects as the "Number One" driver;
b) he threatened to tip off the authority that confidential Ferrari data had been circulating in the team (Dennis, ever the shrewd tactician, immediately sensed trouble and informed the FIA about the data circulation in his team himself, resulting in the severe penalty); and
c) unlike Hamilton, he refused to testify for McLaren at the so-called "Spy-gate" hearing.
Alonso is pretty much a petulant prima donna with a spoiled kid mentality. Just like a kid, he always fights for what he wants while crying and yelling, and if he can't get it, he just vents his anger for no particular reason. I was astounded to see how he confronted Ferrari's Felipe Massa after the European Grand Prix, where he claimed that Massa deliberately ran him off track, a claim which an innocent bystander like me simply found puzzling.
I have always been a Ferrari hater, and when I saw how he confronted Massa at the time, I was sure that he must have a pretty good case. But when I found out what exactly had happened between the two, I had no choice but to side with Massa, and that was pretty much the beginning of my "resentment" towards the Spaniard.
Dennis' attempt to team up two extremely competent and competitive drivers has once again backfired. Like Prost and Senna, the tandem of Alonso and Hamilton is destined to have disastrous consequences. Little did he expect that it would cost his team all the Constructor's points they have been fighting so hard for, and a huge sum of money that could have been spent on car development.
It's a really costly error.
On one hand, its rookie driver Lewis Hamilton is likely to become the first driver to win the Formula One Championship title in his rookie season. On the other, it has been fined $100 million and docked all the Constructor's points for its part in the spying scandal involving Ferrari.
And to rub salt into the wounds, its star driver Fernando Alonso is scarcely on speaking terms with team boss Ron Dennis because:
a) he hasn't got the support that he expects as the "Number One" driver;
b) he threatened to tip off the authority that confidential Ferrari data had been circulating in the team (Dennis, ever the shrewd tactician, immediately sensed trouble and informed the FIA about the data circulation in his team himself, resulting in the severe penalty); and
c) unlike Hamilton, he refused to testify for McLaren at the so-called "Spy-gate" hearing.
Alonso is pretty much a petulant prima donna with a spoiled kid mentality. Just like a kid, he always fights for what he wants while crying and yelling, and if he can't get it, he just vents his anger for no particular reason. I was astounded to see how he confronted Ferrari's Felipe Massa after the European Grand Prix, where he claimed that Massa deliberately ran him off track, a claim which an innocent bystander like me simply found puzzling.
I have always been a Ferrari hater, and when I saw how he confronted Massa at the time, I was sure that he must have a pretty good case. But when I found out what exactly had happened between the two, I had no choice but to side with Massa, and that was pretty much the beginning of my "resentment" towards the Spaniard.
Dennis' attempt to team up two extremely competent and competitive drivers has once again backfired. Like Prost and Senna, the tandem of Alonso and Hamilton is destined to have disastrous consequences. Little did he expect that it would cost his team all the Constructor's points they have been fighting so hard for, and a huge sum of money that could have been spent on car development.
It's a really costly error.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Random Random Thoughts
Don't feel like writing a long piece. Can only mutter some broken thoughts on the following issues:
- Cycling races can be boring, especially Tour races where in most of the stages, cyclists are just content to sit up and let some of the lesser knowns to take a stage victory here and there. But one-day racing is totally different. If you win, you will be crowned champion of that race, and so everyone is mounting attacks after attacks throughout the race. And last Sunday's World Championship held in Stuttgart was no exception, where countless attacks took place and in the end of this enthralling race, one-day specialist Paolo Bettini successfully retained his rainbow jersey.
- For Formula One junkies, two things come to their mind for racing at Japan's Fuji Speedway: Rain and chaos. After an absence of 30 years, Formula One returned to Mount Fuji last Sunday amidst, well you guessed it, rain and chaos. Due to torrential rain, the first 19 laps of the race was run with the safety car leading the field, and when the race finally started despite the condition being even worse than at the beginning, chaos were everywhere and the most notable victim was Fernando Alonso, who crashed heavily but luckily escaped injury. And in the ensuing safety car period, Sebastian Vettel crashed into the sister car of Mark Webber, ending all hopes of a likely but surprising podium finish or even victory for the duo. Lewis Hamilton survived all the chaos behind him (including a crash with Robert Kubica) and won his fourth race of the season, further extending his lead in the World Championship. If he outscores Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen this Sunday at Shanghai, he will be crowned World Champion with one race to spare.
- Speaking of Alonso, I expect him to leave McLaren at the end of this season, after just one tumultuous year at the Woking-based outfit. His frosty relationship with Hamilton and team boss Ron Dennis is no secret to anyone, and Renault has confirmed that an offer has been made to lure him back. My money is on Alonso returning to Renault replacing the overrated Giancarlo Fisichella, who will have a hard time in securing to Toyota seat vacated by Ralf Schumacher but will eventually succeed in doing so. Meanwhile, the much-coveted vacated seat at McLaren will be taken up by Nick Heidfeld.
- In American football, Osi Umenyiora (some pronounce it as "You-Are-Manure") of the New York Giants set a new team record for recording a whopping six sacks in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was constantly overpowering and outrunning Eagles tackle Winston Justice in the first half, and had recorded four sacks at the interval. Interestingly and foolishly, the Eagles decided not to give the poor Justice any help and just let him be a sitting duck (bring in an extra running back for pass protection, for Christ's sake!), and Umenyiora got two more sacks in the second half as a result. His six sacks in the game is only one shy of the all-time record held by the late great Derrick Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Cycling races can be boring, especially Tour races where in most of the stages, cyclists are just content to sit up and let some of the lesser knowns to take a stage victory here and there. But one-day racing is totally different. If you win, you will be crowned champion of that race, and so everyone is mounting attacks after attacks throughout the race. And last Sunday's World Championship held in Stuttgart was no exception, where countless attacks took place and in the end of this enthralling race, one-day specialist Paolo Bettini successfully retained his rainbow jersey.
- For Formula One junkies, two things come to their mind for racing at Japan's Fuji Speedway: Rain and chaos. After an absence of 30 years, Formula One returned to Mount Fuji last Sunday amidst, well you guessed it, rain and chaos. Due to torrential rain, the first 19 laps of the race was run with the safety car leading the field, and when the race finally started despite the condition being even worse than at the beginning, chaos were everywhere and the most notable victim was Fernando Alonso, who crashed heavily but luckily escaped injury. And in the ensuing safety car period, Sebastian Vettel crashed into the sister car of Mark Webber, ending all hopes of a likely but surprising podium finish or even victory for the duo. Lewis Hamilton survived all the chaos behind him (including a crash with Robert Kubica) and won his fourth race of the season, further extending his lead in the World Championship. If he outscores Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen this Sunday at Shanghai, he will be crowned World Champion with one race to spare.
- Speaking of Alonso, I expect him to leave McLaren at the end of this season, after just one tumultuous year at the Woking-based outfit. His frosty relationship with Hamilton and team boss Ron Dennis is no secret to anyone, and Renault has confirmed that an offer has been made to lure him back. My money is on Alonso returning to Renault replacing the overrated Giancarlo Fisichella, who will have a hard time in securing to Toyota seat vacated by Ralf Schumacher but will eventually succeed in doing so. Meanwhile, the much-coveted vacated seat at McLaren will be taken up by Nick Heidfeld.
- In American football, Osi Umenyiora (some pronounce it as "You-Are-Manure") of the New York Giants set a new team record for recording a whopping six sacks in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was constantly overpowering and outrunning Eagles tackle Winston Justice in the first half, and had recorded four sacks at the interval. Interestingly and foolishly, the Eagles decided not to give the poor Justice any help and just let him be a sitting duck (bring in an extra running back for pass protection, for Christ's sake!), and Umenyiora got two more sacks in the second half as a result. His six sacks in the game is only one shy of the all-time record held by the late great Derrick Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs.
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