FIRST BLOOD TO LEWIS
(Image taken from BBC)
So, the 2008 Formula 1 season is go! To complete my season preview, at Williams, Nico Rosberg's stayed but Alex Wurz retired mid season and was eventually replaced by Japan's Kazuki Nakajima, son of Satoru Nakajima who was an F1 driver in the early 90s. Still, one thing hasn't changed, the season opener in Australia and at Albert Park, even if Bernie thinks it's a good idea to make it a night race in future. The Aussies are rightly telling him to shove it, us Europeans have gotten used to having to watch this race on reruns anyway!
As for qualifying, well Piquet was the biggest name to get booted in Q1 but the three main Brits made it through at least, even if Davidson had to start from P22. Q2 and there was a lot of giant killing going on, Jenson had to settle for P13 but both Raikonen and Alonso failed to make Q3 as well. Lewis and DC made the final shootout. Rosberg set the first time, but Heidfeld quickly beat him, then Kovalainen only for the Finn to get beaten by both Massa and Lewis! Kubica came out of nowhere to take provisional pole late on but Lewis bettered him to open his season with a ple, Kubica still pulling off a great P2 with DC settling for P8.
Well Jenson's race didn't last very long. The first serious incident of the 2008 season was a mid-grid pile up that happened when poorly starting drivers having trouble with the new '08 systems ran into fast starting drivers coming up from the back. Jenson got caught up in that andlimped out of the race along with four other drivers. That display was pretty much useless in determining how good the '08 Honda is. Let's see if we get a better idea in Malaysia.
DC survived the carnage but his start wasn't the best and so he spent the early laps out of the points. However he was back in the mixer soon enough and ran as high as 6th at one point, suggesting that the '08 Red Bull definately has it's uses. However 25 laps in he got pranged by Massa and forced off the track with his tyres bent off! The Ferrari driver survived but DC wasn't happy about the incident. Still, what he did do looked promising enough for the rest of the season.
Lewis, well when the lights went out Kubica gave him something to think about but after that he just surged off into the distance, leaving all the insanity behind him as his seriousrivals just fell off the track. OK, he had to start from scratch behind the safety car on a few occasions but he knows how to handle those. Other than short periods of time mid pitstop window, he was never seriously threatened and just cruised to win the first race of 2008, Heidfeld 2nd and credit to Rosberg for his first F1 podium in 3rd.
So, one race down and Lewis leads the championship by two points. Both DC and Jenson have yet to finish a race with the Scotsman having completed more laps.
Now what has Malaysia got for us?
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