Catch up time!
Well, I’ve been behind the news and events lately, so here’s my opportunity to give my view on things and get up to date. Championships have been settled, a new venue blooded and a whole new world of uncertainty has hit F1. But before I get on to recent developments, I’ll try and cover the events of the last few weeks.
Jensen’s World Champion (baby)
After a bit of a mid-season slump, Jensen Button proved his worth by taking the F1 World Championship at Interlagos with a superb drive from 14th on the grid to finish fifth, with a drive that looked like he was under no pressure at all. After an awful qualifying session, it looked like Button would be out of contention as team mate Rubens Barrichello took pole. Fortunately, the Englishman treated us to some stunning overtaking manoeuvres as he steadily moved up the field in a manner that would have made Nigel Mansell proud (and probably did). He then drove in a similar manner a couple of weeks later when he fought tooth and nail with Marc Webber at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
I must say it was really enjoyable to see Button and the team celebrate (plus that loony Eddie Jordan), especially considering that they didn’t even know whether they’d be racing at the beginning of the year. Despite the usual negative comments from the usual nay-sayers, I thoroughly believe Jenson deserves the title and much credit should go to Ross Brawn for getting the best out of him. It was also good to see Marc Webber taking two wins this year, including the Interlagos race and finally confirming the talent that we’d pretty much knew was there all along.
All hail the Goat
Yes, he did it again. Valentino Rossi took third in last weeks Malaysian Grand Prix to seal the MotoGP title. The Italian has now racked up nine world titles and looks set to ride for at least two more seasons. Every year, the competition gets tougher with Stoner, Lorenzo and Pedrosa biting at his heels, yet for the last two seasons, he’s pulled the rabbit out of the hat. How long will this last? Who knows, but I’m probably not the only one who feels just happy to see history in the making.
All the best, Valentino and I wish you all the best for next season (it’s going to be hard)!
Latest news
Well, it looks like the wheels have been literally blown off F1 with tyre supplier Bridgestone withdrawing from the sport. Who will replace them is anyone’s guess. Unless Michelin come back in (unlikely, as they are still annoyed with the FIA because of their treatment of them after THAT American Grand Prix), we may well see van rental tyres supplied by the local Kwik-Fit bolted on to the 200mph plus steeds. I’m sure Bernie would get a good deal for the teams…
Oh and that great white Elephant of F1, Toyota, have pulled out. I’m sure no one will notice that they’ve gone, apart from the poor sods losing their jobs. Rumour has it that Renault may follow too, further compounding the problems Formula One faces.