RAIKONEN WINS IN OZ BUT HAMILTON ENTERS F1 WITH CLASS!
So, the F1 season has officially started at last! And this time round, after last year's blip, it's starting in Australia again. The F1 show's gotten used to starting up in Melbourne's Albert Park where it's been since '96. As mentioned in my preview, there's quite a lot of wildcards in the mixer this year though one player than was expected to have a slow start was Honda, the car apparently needing a few more tweaks which they hoped to sort by Malaysia.
Qualifying, well that show hasn't changed. The big headlines in round 1 came from neither Barrichello nor DC making the cut. Both Super Aguris somehow made the last sixteen though and Sato even made the top 10 with Davidson in 11th. Jenson didn't make it, he started 14th and Massa conked out as well, he started at the back, allowing DC to start 18th and Rubens 16th. In the meantime, Hamilton was on fire, easily making the top 10 in his first F1 qualifying session, Webber also providing a home presence. It was Heidfeld who put in the first serious provisional pole time, with Fisichella then topping that only for Hamilton to take provisional pole from him, though Alonso then pulled rank before Raikonen finally took pole, Alonso second, Heidfeld third and Hamilton fourth, the last time a Brit's started that high up the grid on his debut since the 1950s!
So the race itself. Well DC did a pretty good job of making his way up to 15th before finding himself held up by the two Hondas and then getting overtaken by Massa. The Scotsman never really managed to get out of the midfield though and his race ended after a move that he admitted was insane on Wurz, surging in from way back and catching the Austrian off guard and taking them both off! Definately a dissapointing race for the Red Bull man.
Jenson didn't really do much better. He took advantage of a poor starting Davidson to take 13th at the start but for whatever reason, could get no race pace out of his car whatsoever, eventually getting overtaken by Barrichello and Massa. Somehow his car still got hauled in for a stop-and-go after speeding in the pitlane though! At least he held on to finish the race, even if it was in 15th place and no where near competitive. Those Honda tweaks can't come soon enough!
Which from a UK perspective, left the day belonging to Hamilton. For starters he overtook Alonso off the grid and didn't have a problem keeping the reigning World Champion behind him during the race while running his car on maximum overdrive. Heidfeld pitting to put Lewis in second and for a while the rookie Brit actually managed to lead his debut Grand Prix! He got given a reality check during the second round of pit stops though, Alonso pulling rank on him again. However, let me say this: A podium. On his debut Grand Prix! Mansell didn't get a podium on his debut Grand Prix! Nor did Damon, DC or Jenson! The Lewis Hamilton hype may not be entirely insane! That was an awesome performance and this guy is certain to win a Grand Prix before the end of the season if he keeps it up!
However, while the McLarens were fighting over the lower podium places, Rakonen was just taking his brand new Ferrari and running. He only lost the lead temporarily during pit-stop sequences but never looked like getting overtaken by either of the McLarens. The result was not only the Finn opening 2007 with a win that tells everyone else "bring it on" but getting his first win since Japan '05! The tifosi certainly have nothing to fear in the post-Michael Schumacher era.
So, the initial championship places look like this: Raikonen leading with 10 points, Alonso 2nd with 8 while Hamilton looks to lead the early UK charge to start in third with six. Jenson comes out of Oz empty handed while DC failed to even finish the race.
One down, sixteen to go.
Comments go here
Click here to return to sports homepage
Click here to return to Matt G's homepage