Living Fast

Strange to hear drivers talk these days. Take Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. Fernando recently claimed that three world titles would be enough for him before retiring from the sport. And in this story on ITV-F1, Kimi says that his three year contract with Ferrari may be his last. One could contrast this with Senna and Schumacher. Both loved racing and in particular, winning. During their time in Formula 1, both frequently made statements that they would continue doing so until the day came when they were no longer quick enough. Who knows how long Senna would have lasted had he not had that fatal accident? And of course, Michael as everyone knows lasted a mammoth 15 full seasons in Formula 1.

One would think that Kimi at 27 and Fernando at 25 years of age, still have the best part of at least 8 - 10 years left in the sport. But it seems that it is not in their plans to remain that long. Although it must be said that at the end of Kimi's Ferrari contract, he would have competed in 9 full seasons. In Fernando's case and the way he is going right now, he should not have to wait that long for a third world title. Although if one remembers correctly, it took a while before Michael won his third. Say that Fernando does take at a least 3 seasons to win his next (assuming McLaren doesn't recover its form), he would have only done 8 seasons.

Perhaps its not just the age that matters. In 2009 Fernando and Kimi would be 28 and 30 years old respectively. Relative toddlers compared to Coulthard and de la Rosa today. I'm sure they would still have the speed and if we remember Michael, would still be at the top of their game. Perhaps the constant pressure to perform on and off the track are the major factors. Michael made his name and came to prominence at a time when commercial pressures were not quite what it is today. Kimi and Alonso on the other hand have had to deal with it throughout their careers.

One could argue that had Ferrari not enjoyed their superiority in the new millenium, Michael would probably have retired a lot earlier than he did. I don't believe him for one moment that he had Massa's career in mind when he took the decision to retire. I believe the 2005 season did have an effect on him. As Giorgio Ascanelli once said of Senna, a world champion doesn't fight for fourth place. And in 2006, I'm sure the effort it took to try and catch Alonso (which ended in failure) also must have weighed deeply in his mind. Never mind the Spaniard, there were days when even Filipe Massa could easily match and beat him. As was for Senna, I firmly believe that winning was Michael's narcotic. If the events of the past couple of years had happened sooner, I think 2003 or 2004 would have been his last year.

Michael had felt the pressure from younger rivals and I'm sure both Kimi and Fernando are aware of the new breed of drivers coming in. This year itself has seen Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica make an immediate impact. Next year, we'll probably have Lewis Hamilton and sooner or later Sebastien Vettel will surely replace Heidfeld just as Nelson Piquet Jr. seems destined to take a Renault seat once Enstone has had enough of Fisichella. All these new drivers are terribly quick and will exert even more pressure on both Kimi and Fernando. Sentiments? Bah. It all flies out the window these days (and in the pinnacle of sport, why shouldn't it?). I think Michael (but only through his speed and greatness) could command sentiment from the likes of Ferrari and he will be the last. With more young pups so eager to break in to the sport and prepared to do anything to please (and in the case of Hamilton, with the full support of the media), its only a matter of time before an increasingly critical eye is cast on the likes of Kimi and Fernando.

Hopefully, McLaren and Ferrari can both give proper machinery to Fernando and Kimi for it would be a shame to lose either of them to retirement so soon. If despite being in the position they are in, both are already thinking ahead to retirement, I wonder how a certain Jenson Button must feel? I'm quite certain with all the trouble he has caused with contractual obligations etc and with the relative lack of results, the pressure must mount on him as well.

Goodbye Jimmy

I guess from this day forth, those of us in and around the little Malaysian racing community will always remember All Hallows' Eve as the day a Malaysian racing legend passed on. At around 2 p.m. today, Jimmy Low (left in picture) was lost to the world, suffering from a heart attack.

The news spread quickly within the community via phone calls and text messages and as befitting a man we all have come to respect and cherish, there was an outpour of grief. Some drivers were reportedly close to tears, voices choked with emotion. In general, there was a sense of great loss. Even among those who counted as his deadliest rivals on the race track.

I never knew him personally but I did meet Jimmy Low a couple of times. I remember watching him in the Asian Touring Car Championship in his 1.6 litre Amoil Honda Civic keeping the works BMWs in close check at the old Shah Alam circuit. And who could forget his battles with perhaps his biggest rival, Eddie Lew. Everytime those two took to the track, there was certain to be some argy bargy as you do in saloon cars.

My fondest memory of Jimmy Low though happened at Shah Alam on the Batu Tiga circuit. I was being coached by a racing driver friend of mine in preparation for an upcoming endurance race. My friend was at the wheel at the time showing me the right way to do things. On track at the same time was Jimmy Low, who was also coaching another driver. Whilst we were in my daily driver, Jimmy and student was in a race prepared Proton Putra.

In the turns Jimmy was tremendous as you would expect. The roll caged and semi slick shod Putra simply eating up the distance between him and ourselves. But on the straight the MIVEC engine on my car could hold its own. Or so I'd like to think. I think maybe Jimmy was taking it easy. He didn't even have a helmet on. But still it was fun and exciting as we diced for 5 laps or so. The most vivid image in my mind was on the Shell straight going into the flat out right hander before the loop. We had the inside line and I remember hearing an absolutely deafening noise, so I looked left and there he was. Jimmy was on the outside, racing muffler blaring out loud. There was nothing to fear for the man was a pro.

After 5 laps or so, my engine blew up having been pushed to its absolute limits but luckily we managed to get back to the pits. Jimmy came in as well and came to speak to us. A very nice person, he inquired about my engine and expressed sympathy for the broken motor. I didn't have my own ride for 5 weeks after that.

By all accounts, Jimmy was a very generous competitor, never hesitating to offer advice on both driving and car setup. In fact, during my race, he even shared some setup information with us, which thanks to him, we managed to use to very good effect and we ended up on the podium. Thanks for tip Jimmy! This incident wasn't unique though and plenty of drivers (even his rivals) owe him a debt of gratitude.

And I know of some ( famous and internationally renowned) Malaysian racing drivers who would kill for the kind of respect commanded by veteran Jimmy. I remember during a practice day at Sepang a few years ago. We were all hanging out and as usual among lads, talking loud and mucking about waiting to go out on to the track again. In walked Jimmy into our pits and I remember everyone just fell silent. A mark of respect for the sifu.

Jimmy Low started racing in the most unlikely of places, in motor-cross back in the 80s. By all accounts, he was up and coming in the sport before objections from his parents put paid to his plans. If racing was what he wanted to do, then it would have to be in cars. He made his name racing in numerous events in Johor and at Shah Alam. His prowess at the wheel ensured that despite not being fabulously wealthy, he was offered drives by many a team including the works Petronas Eon Racing Team with whom he won the first ever Merdeka Mellenium Endurance race. And of course there were drives with the BSA team in Porsches and Radicals. And not forgetting of course, the one team that I always like to associate him with, Amoil.



Despite having a cabinet creaking under the weight of numerous winner's trophies, Jimmy was hardly recognised outside the Malaysian racing community and I think that is most unfair. For he had the ability to take on and beat any of driver on his day and most of 'em on his off day. Including those drivers that had a went on to race in single seaters. Perhaps the greatest injustice of all was not to have won any accolades or awards for driver of the year. The award as usual went to the fabulously rich but utterly talentless businessman.

But in the end, it matters not, for Jimmy will live on in our thoughts. A unassuming and genuinely nice fellow is lost to us in Malaysia. Not even fifty years of age, I should think it would be appropriate to say that he went before it was time. But as Iron Maiden put it; Only the good die young. Rest easy Jimmy Low. It has been a privilege to watch you race and to have shared the same piece of tarmac with you in a race.

On Michael Schumacher

Statistically the greatest but I think one of Michael Schumacher's greatest achievement was to stick around for as long as he has. I watched his debut at Spa in 1991 and now thankfully, he has safely left the sport with his life intact after 15 and a bit seasons. If I think about it, I've only watched 8 full seasons without him being present in the world championship. In the time that he's been in Formula 1, I graduated from university, completed my professional exams and have gone through some pretty interesting times in my life. All the while, the spectre of Michael Schumacher has been ever present. When Michael announced his departure, I looked back at his career and how far it has come and because of the sheer length of time he's been around, I couldn't help but look back at my own. Unfortunately, it has not been anywhere near his level of success but this article is about him and thankfully, not about me.

For sure, I'm not a fan of his by any means. But then he's quite a paradox, this German. On one hand we see the charitable and great human being who was kind enough to donate 20 of his untold millions in aid of anonymous victims of the tsunami. And yet, on the other hand, he has in him the demon who has stooped down to the base level of a cheat. A wonderful family man and father and yet within him lies a certain ruthlessness and selfishness that has characterised his time in the sport.

I like him not for his on track cheating and self centeredness but there's the thing isn't it? Would it better for him to be like Alain Prost, ever the gentleman on the track (barring Suzuka 1989) but faced with an absolute horror of a private life? I am sure to Corinna and his kids Michael is perfect as he is. An angel in his personal life but ruthless and deadly to his rivals.

Nevertheless, those on "his" side, his family and his team, notably Ferrari, receive unquestionably good treatment. Other drivers have been seen thanking the team after victory and even in defeat but never a bad word from Michael about his team even going through some pretty rough times in 1996 and 2005. Other drivers would have no hesitation slagging off but Michael maintains infinite patience with his squad. At least in public. I'm sure at the factory he can be (and by some accounts is) as demanding as the rest of them.

One could say that as far as determination and focus on winning, there hasn't been anyone to match him and thats probably why he wins as often as he does. In order to win, Michael understands that all the conditions have to be right. The team needs motivating and at the same time forgiveness and understanding when things do not go as planned. Ferrari have always had the best of resources to go for the championship but this needs to be shaped and moulded in a proper manner to extract the very best. Add a touch of technical savvy to the mix and the resulting cocktail is a military elite squad designed to win world championships. Sure, I would say that Alonso, Senna, Hakkinen, Raikkonen and maybe Prost are a match for him for blinding speed on the circuit but at the factory I think no one works harder and smarter than Michael. And that really is the key to all his successes.

Of course Michael does not stop at the factory for the work on Sunday rests firmly on his shoulders. After all the development, the practice, the strategies, the driving too must be impeccable. Like Martin Brundle, I too have a hard time recalling Michael's greatest overtaking moves. I'm sure die hard fans will want to fill me in on that but I have a much easier time recalling overtaking moves done upon him. Villeneuve's move on the outside at Estoril in 1996, Hakkinen's excellent move at Spa in 2000 and of course Alonso's ballsy and sheer brilliance at Suzuka last year rates as the best. But you see, the way Michael works he doesn't need to pull off these sorts of moves.

I don't recall many great overtaking moves but I'm sure we all remember Michael's ruthless and inexorable drives prior to pitstops. His fitness ensures that he is able to deliver quick lap after quick lap race after race. And at no point during the race is this better demonstrated than prior to the round of stops. Michael more often than not was fuelled heavier and ran longer than his rivals and yet all the while keeping apace with them. When they dive in, he turns up the wick and goes on a charge leaving those behind him in the dirt and pass those in front of him. In short, he relies on consistently blinding speed and avoids the need for risking a potentially hazardous move on the track.

Michael does make mistakes. This was usually so when he is put under pressure. But more often than not, he is never under pressure thanks to having a brilliant car underneath him. But even with superb machinery he can wilt under pressure and it usually happens when he's chasing someone in front of him.

So indeed, Michael is a true professional. Perhaps the most professional driver I have borne witness to. But is he too professional? After great success with Benetton, his decision to move to Ferrari was questionable to many people, not least to me. Some say, he needed a new challenge. Some might say he wanted to leave his mark with Maranello. Could it be simply for the money? No doubt Maranello was prepared to and could afford to pay far more for his services than Enstone. And of course, the slimy Willi Webber no doubt had a hand in convincing him that Ferrari would be a good move (especially for Willi himself). But once in Ferrari, Michael began to forge a team around him. No big deal, its been done before in the past. But what I was so against was the fact that his teammate would have to be a subordinate to him.

Consider some comparisons. Ayrton Senna comes to mind. I know the English never forgave Senna for vetoing the choice of Derek Warwick as his teammate at Lotus. Because of Senna, the choice instead went to the Earl of Dumfries, a bloke named Johnny. But to my mind this was only because Senna knew that Lotus did not have the resources to devote to two equal drivers. Even back in 1986, Lotus was not the team it was in the early seventies. Knowing this, Senna made the choice to be clear number one. When Lotus could not deliver a championship winning car, Senna had no reservations about moving to McLaren, even if a certain Alain Prost was incumbent and de facto number one at Woking. Senna knew he would beat the Frenchman or anybody else for that matter and he wasn't afraid to take up the challenge.

But Ferrari is no Lotus. For ages now and even today, the team with the best and most resources, Ferrari did not and doesn't need to resort to such clear distinction in the status of its drivers. And yet, this was their modus operandi throughout the entire reign of Michael at the team. And if anyone thinks that this has always been Ferrari's standard practice, I beg to differ, for in the past old man Enzo had no reservations in letting his drivers battle it out so long as they brought home the constructors trophy.

But as I said earlier, Michael is a professional winning machine. Driving is a means but driving alone isn't enough for him. He enjoys the driving and probably would love to drive some more. But the man needs to win. And why risk having an equal teammate who could potentially take race wins away from himself? Even if he were 100% certain he could beat his teammate, why risk it?

Its not sporting but Michael is designed to win. Being a sportsman is secondary and as some cases in his career have demonstrated, entirely optional. Adelaide in 1994, Jerez in 1997 and Monaco this year are some instances that come to mind. In addition, I've always found his angled starts pretty distasteful as well. I agree that Ayrton Senna was also guilty of argy bargy. But as Martin Brundle so nicely put it, Ayrton was in most times caught up with emotion, a product of what he saw as blatant biasness and unfairness in certain decisions made by the governing body. At Suzuka, he lashed out against decisions made against him at the same venue the previous year and by the stewards' decision to inexplicably switch the starting positions of the grid. A decision he thought unfairly put him at a disadvantage and many sympathized his plight. Being of fiery latin temprament, Ayrton lashed out. He would tell all that he would do it, he then did it and once done, he would admit to it.

Not so Michael. Neither Damon Hill (in 1994) nor Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 had done anything to him to justify barging them off the track (or at least attempt to do so). There were no unfair stewards decisions that worked against him. It was simply cold and calculating. But as I say, Michael is a professional winner. Sportsmanship is optional. Taking out his rivals is simply the professional thing to do. All in the name of winning. See the difference? Ayrton was being emotional not professional. Michael was simply being a professional. The world cup winning Argentinian captain Daniel Pasarella used to say that given the choice of going for the ball or Maradona, he would simply go for Maradona every single time. And why shouldn't he, argued the great man. There's no chance of taking the ball away from Maradona so simply take him out. That attitude wins matches. And when the occassion called for it, it was something Michael Schumacher had no reservations in employing.

To this I would add the ocassional screwing your team mate events that crop up time and again. As happened to Rubens Barrichello in Austria 2002. Rubens was clearly faster all weekend. It doesn't happen very often but on that occassion Michael had no answers to Rubens pace. The best man deserved to win but Michael thought otherwise. Had the crowd not voiced their displeasure at the result you can bet that Michael would happily accept the result as graciously as with any of his other victories.

Then of course, there's the outright cheating. Monaco this year being the classic example and has already been thoroughly discussed. But I would like to touch upon the Benetton years. In 1994, many observers and even fellow drivers commented on how they felt that illegal traction control devices were being employed on the Benettons. In fact traction control was found by the FIA the following year but no action was taken. The official explanation given by Benetton was that whilst the software codes for traction control were contained in the black boxes, they were not used during the race. They remained in the ECU because it was too difficult to remove. I'll bet. Whilst some may use this as evidence against Michael but I think that would be unfair. It was the team that placed the traction control. It was the entire team that cheated and I would bet that it is something any team would do if they knew they could get away with it. Promptly after being found, the Benetton team removed the traction control codes immediately. So much for being difficult to remove.

Outright cheating is difficult to prove especially if you only read the mainstream press. Even then there are only hints and innuendos to the point. But nevertheless, the rumours and Michael's own gamesmanship taints the otherwise his otherwise proud and unbeatable achievements. I would like to recall Silverstone in 1998 as one example. Michael had to serve a stop and go penalty. This he did on the very final lap of the race. On that lap he entered the pits and in doing so had already crossed the line and taken the flag. He stopped and then drove off again for what was the warming down lap.

Is Michael the most talented driver in history? I have my doubts. Jochen Mass, the senior driver at the Sauber Mercedes team that Michael once drove for, once said that he thought that Heinz Harald Frentzen was the more talented of his two best known junior drivers. Of course that is not to deny Michael's talent but he simply is not the most talented. Ayrton Senna is thought by many to be the most talented of all and I agree. But talent only gets you so far. Physical fitness is supremely important in grand prix racing and Michael rewrote the rule book in that department. With physical fitness, Michael is able to go flat out all the time instead of merely some of the time. As Ayrton used to say, any guy can go fast on a single lap but champions can do it for lap after lap for the entire race. This Michael was able to do better than anyone. I still think that as far as fitness is concerned, even at this advanced age his is in better shape than the rest of the field.

The other question that is often asked is whether or not Michael is the fastest one of all? No, I don't think so. So why does he win so often? Well, Michael is the most complete driver of all time. Whatever he lacks in natural talent or speed (and this is all relative, any difference in speed between Michael and say, Hakkinen, being absolutely microscopic), he more than makes up for with fitness, attention to detail, tchnical ability and knowledge and the fact that the team not only rallies with him through his motivation but designs whole cars to suit him. All these factors combine together to make up his 91 grand prix victories.

But racing being a team sport, Michael has as much to thank Ferrari for all his successes as the other way around. Specifically, Michael has behind him, two men who have been there throughout all his championships. Namely, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne. Both were with him during the Benetton years and they were right there for all of Michael's five titles with Ferrari. The professional winning machine you see could not have done it without these men. Every win Michael has had save 3 can be attributed to them. No other driver has managed to have such great rapport with the technical director and chief designer. And that is why the cars are always built to his specifications and requirements further guaranteeing success. And quite clearly another factor that makes up for any weaknesses that Michael may have.

The German football team may not always be the most talented of individuals but bloody hell, they do not lack for any fighting spirit. How many times have we seen the Germans behind but fighting their way back to level the score? It must be sequenced in their genetic codes or something. And so it is with Michael. His drive in Brazil was characterized by that never say die attitude that has been ever present throughout his entire career. I think if he has many fans it must be because of this factor alone. Michael is similar to Mansell in that sense. While he lacks the Englishman's flair for overtaking, he matches him in fighting spirit. Its like watching an inevitable heat seeking missile. It cannot be stopped.

I still think that Michael's best years were during his time at Benetton. I think his best championship was in fact 1995 for Benetton Renault. On the surface, some would say that he did not have the best car, that advantage belonging to Williams Renault and Damon Hill. The car was undrivable to all but Michael. The back end it was said was too eager to step out. But I would say that it was exactly how Michael liked it although we have not seen many wild Ferraris. But sometimes I think that his driving was more exciting to watch during his Benetton years. Recall how he would lock up at least on wheel going into a turn lap after lap. Whilst this does not adhere to the smooth is best school of driving but even Jackie Stewart, who along with Prost must rate as the smoothest drivers ever, had to admit that those lockups meant speed for it ensured a greater overall stopping power. And somehow I have to agree with Michael on one aspect of driving. Michael used to say that he didn't really care what the car did when he turned the wheel but he certainly was concerned about its braking and what it would do in that state. And somehow I think he also likes a car with fantastically quick turn in. Just like the Benetton B195.

Especially after the events in Suzuka and Interlagos this year, I cannot for the life of me recall the details but the fates have mostly seemed to be on Michael's side. Not for nothing was he once been deemed by Martin Brundle to be the luckiest grand prix driver ever. How many times have we seen a blown engine from his rivals hand him the victory? How many times have conditions simply favoured him? And lets not forget the FIA who are always behind the team he drives for, namely Ferrari.

But to Michael, the manner of victory is secondary. The win is all that counts. But there are plenty who do care about the means to victory and I am one of them. Michael has had plenty of great moments. And I will admit, he is the most complete of all drivers and therefore deserves his success. He's just a little too cold and calculating for comfort and there's just one too many cases of crafty and underhanded gamesmanship for my liking. Added to the fact that for some reason (and I think its also due to Michael himself) the two teams he has had his successes with (Benetton under Briatore and Ferrari and Todt), are also the most political in the sport, I will continue to admire him but like him I do not. He shall not be missed the way Ayrton Senna is.

Watch Alonso

With Michael needing Fernando to finish outside the top eight, if at all, there have been suggestions in the press that perhaps some argy bargy would transpire at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix. Others suggest that perhaps we should be watching the teammates instead. Filipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella are themselves in a battle for the second runner up spot but perhaps it is not unthinkable that they may be called upon to help settle the issue. Perhaps Filipe could "accidentally" run into Fernando at the start. Or indeed Fisi could do the same to Michael. Though I do have my doubts about Fisi wanting to do such things.

All these speculation are purely conspiracy theories you understand. Although I should point out that the three most successfuly drivers of the modern era Prost, Senna and Schumacher have all at one point or another resorted to questionable tactics to win the world title. I can hear the Prost fans howling in protest but lets be realisitic shall we. If you believe that Prost did not know that Senna was side by side with him going into the final chicane at Suzuka in 1989 then you simply must be blind. He knew Senna was coming and bloody hell anyone, least of all a double world champion would notice the red and white nose cone to his right. After all the chicane begins with a right hander and as everyone who has ever driven on a circuit knows you look to where you want the car placed next. And the next corner is a right hander and thats where Senna was incidentally, to Prost's right. That Frog knew he was there and took the line in any case. Of course Nigel Roebuck would never agree with you because he and Prost are such good pals.

Anyway back to 2006 and we ask the question: will Fernando Alonso join the ranks of these greats? Will he simply settle the score and put the game beyond a shadow of a doubt. Why risk engine blow outs, tyre troubles, accidents with drivers and not simply end it right there and then? Its a tight first corner at Interlagos. He can drive straight into Schumi ala Senna or attempt a more subtle but clumsy approach ala Prost and Michael Schumacher circa 1994.

Perhaps Vince McMann... oops sorry, Bernie Ecclestone, will have a hand in this, as alleged by Nigel Mansell, as he did on that fateful day in Adelaide in 1994. Its not beyond shorty.

Whatever it is, I think I will watch Fernando very closely on Sunday. It would be ironic if Michael were to be taken out the way he has taken out others (or attempted to) in the past. Perhaps we need just a little bit more of that good old "natural justice." That would be nice but even better would be for Fernando to win in style as did Mika Hakkinen in 1998.

What If He Makes It?

Lots seem to be happening in F1 this year but not least we have lost a great driver in Juan Pablo Montoya. I know his departure is old news but nevertheless I'd like to make my comments on this.

I know a lot of people seem to think that he's a slacker at best and a wanker at worse but to my mind Juan Pablo's departure means that Formula 1 has lost an incredible talent. I simply cannot believe jerks like Tiago Monteiro still remain but a genius Juan are surplus to requirements. Consider the Colombian's debut season in 2001. After a couple of races, here was this rookie seemingly without any fear and in a straight fight outbrakes Michael Schumacher going into Turn 1 at Interlagos. Had anyone been watching Juan in Champcars the previous two years it would have come as no surprise. But what I liked was the utter defiance against so great a driver and then triple world champion.

And I really find it hard to believe that a driver who clearly could outpace Kimi Raikkonen himself in similar machinery was sidelined as he was at McLaren. Of course Juan Pablo made his mistakes but his speed cannot be denied. I believe he'd be fast no matter what he drives and truth be told I think he would have been a better choice for Red Bull than Mark Webber.

Anyways, as we all know he's off to NASCAR now. Honestly speaking I have no idea if he'll do well there or not. These saloon cars are big and heavy and are a world away from the lightweight and excessively powerful Formula 1 single seaters. Its a whole different style of driving. But what he ought to get used to quite quickly is the level of racing in the series. Typical of saloon car races its very competitive with lots of argy bargy going on. Somehow I think he'd get pretty used to that given his character behind the wheel. But he'll still need time to adjust. Saloon cars are no mean feat. Look at what happened to Mansell when he tried a BTCC Mondeo. Round and round we go..........

Can you imagine if Juan Pablo makes it big in NASCAR? I mean Juan has a pretty big following worldwide. Certainly he has many fans over here in Malaysia. By and large, the rest of the world cares very little for this sport of the deep South. But if Juan Pablo is making it there, you can be certain interest levels would definitely go up. Heck, you might even catch me trying to get a glimpse from time to time just to see how one of my favourite drivers is doing.

Did He, Didn't He

My first reaction to Michael Schumacher's stall at Rascasse was thinking how convenient it was for the German. With everyone on their second balls out run, here was a situation that would help him enormously. Yellow flags out, the other drivers, like it or not, will inevitably be delayed at the turn. And indeed, more than one had to take a tighter line into the corner. That included Fernando Alonso who was at that time, going a great deal quicker than Michael through the first two sectors. Fernando missed it by only a few hundredths but that delay was enough to ensure that the Ferrari starts at the front.

A few minutes later I got an SMS from a mate of mine who suggested in no uncertain terms that the off was very deliberate. Well, being conspiracy theorists that I am, I agreed. Look carefully at the video replays. Going into the left hander it seemed that he went in there a little too quickly, braked hard, locked up, recovered but conveniently ran out of room at the exit. He stopped and stalled. Hmmm.... stalled or did he hit the kill switch? I mean, I've seen this guy go off in the kitty litter at the Nurburgring but kept the engine on and got a nice little (doubtful) push from the marshals. So it was certainly convenient that his engine decided at this moment to cough and splutter to a stop. Whether or not this is deliberate I certainly have no experience to say.

However, gamesmanship is not beyond both Ferrari and Michael Schumacher. Perhaps the Ferrari pits did not tell him to do so but heh, Michael is not exactly lacking in grey matter is he? The effect of his "enthusiasm" was to delay the other drivers and one could argue that it delayed them in a most unfair manner.

Reports have it that the entire paddock was up in arms with the incident and no doubt the protest was a result of this discontent. But as I said before, it was certainly convenient for Michael. There are of course other places that would have achieved the same delaying effects but Rascasse is probably the best place. Narrow, very tight and in actual fact quite easy to go off there.

Well, in the end the stewards after careful consideration over 8 hours decided to penalize Michael. I don't know what Pitpass is on about though. A Black Day for Formula 1? Not everybody would be displeased by this really. As I said, Ferrari have had their fair share of gamesmanship in the past and its high time someone put paid to their underhanded tactics. If indeed it was proven so.

Leave Him Alone

Note: This article was edited several times. Hopefully this is the final version.

Bernie Ecclestone claims that Fernando Alonso in his capacity as world champion doesn't do much for the sport. This may well be true but Bernie, I think you haven't done much either have you? Indeed most of the promotion is done either by the local circuits or the television companies. In no small measure promotion of Formula 1 is done by the manufacturers who participate in the sport.

But more than Bernie's dumb comments, the bigger question is why should we need drivers to do anything at all except mesmerise us with their skill and bravery on Sundays? I don't know but I think this is originally an American phenomenon. The idea that the drivers should be out there putting on a fake smile, meeting people, signing autographs and thanking sponsors. Its disgusting. I mean come on. I'm not there to see charming personalities and PR filtered speeches. I'm there to watch sporting rivalries and battle.

Yes, I realise that ultimately its the sponsors who pay for the cars but they get something in return, that is the advertising reach and eyeballs. And yes, fans can claim that since those advertisers pay to reach us, we're the ones who ultimately pay for the cars. But that doesn't mean we own the drivers. And it doesn't mean they owe us anything. Hey, turn off the telly or don't turn up for the race if you don't like it. Personally, I turn up to watch their driving. And I prefer to watch the interactions amongst the drivers especially when there's a huge rivalry. I really don't care how they interact with me.

A lucky bastard friend of mine once had the privilege of being in the Ferrari guest box at Sepang in 2000 (or was it 2001?) and he told me this little anecdote. You see, one of things these lucky sods get to do is meet the drivers who turn up at the guest box to say a quick hello to everyone. Naturally, everyone is really excited when its time for Big Mike and Rubens to show up. Some PR guy comes into the box and tells everyone to give a big cheer when the both of them appear and when time comes they give an enormous roar. The drivers reaction of course is nothing less than disappointing. Long faces and the appearance that this was very much thrust upon them against their will. Next door in the Williams guest box, a big cheer went out to Ralf Schumacher and Button who apparently greeted and entertained their guests with big smiles and seemingly genuine warmth. My friend being a huge Ferrari fan was nonplussed by the attitude of his heros. They were, in his words, unfriendly arrogant and pompous prima donnas.

Well, I explained to my friend that these drivers are human beings as well. Sundays are a stressful time. In modern Formula 1, there can be no mistakes. And the level of detail in the preparation means that any of them including Michael Schumacher, would prefer to be spending time with their engineers than be forced to meet sods like him. In the midst of all that pressure, the last thing on their minds are to go out and be forced yet again to go meet a bunch of strangers you don't know and really couldn't give a toss about. That's a fact and if you were one of these blokes, you would feel exactly the same way. But then again, you might argue that the Williams guys were doing just fine and you'd be right. But then again, maybe brother Ralf is simply a more personable fellow. But what the hell do I care? I'd rather see him work his genius on the track.

Some others argue that these guys are lucky to be in Formula 1 and earning their million dollar paychecks and they owe a debt of gratitude somehow for the privilege of being there. This ignores one big point. And that is, they're not there because they're lucky (well, at least most of them aren't), they're there because they're just plain unbelievably good drivers and f***in geniuses behind the wheel of a car. If they weren't we all wouldn't be watching the sport in the first place. Their talent means they are simply the best in the world. Think about it, in a world of 6 billion people there is only one world champion and a few handful of other blokes who can challenge him. They have an uncommon talent and they deserve to get paid for that talent. If we all were that bloody good then those drivers wouldn't get paid so highly. Simple economics of supply and demand. And don't forget with the money they earn, those drivers are under enormous pressure to perform. One slip and they have everyone on their backs. You and I would simply crumble to a heap if we were the ones subjected to such strain.

I simply cannot abide the attitude that simply because these guys earn their fat paychecks they deserve to be treated as less than human and be stripped of all that makes a human being and be forced as puppets to do their teams and fans bidding. Perhaps it because the great drivers make it look so easy, it makes some people think that the drivers are simply overpaid and that somehow its just pure luck that the drivers are up there whilst they are lower than whale shit at the bottom of the ocean. So in their warped minds they think the drivers owe them something. Yes, luck has something to do with it but their talents had plenty to do with it as well.

Okay now I'm going to go off track but I really must touch on this issue. And that is, why does Formula 1 need more promotion? So that greedy Bernie can make more money? Bugger off. Formula 1 represents (or should represent) the pinnacle of motorsport. I keep repeating this point again and again but I feel I must. First and foremost, it should be about sport. But increasingly people think it should be about entertainment. Horrid artificial NASCAR style entertainment. To those people, I say go watch a movie or NASCAR if you want entertainment.

Increasingly also, the sport has deteriorated because of money. More money for Bernie. More money for the teams. More money for the damned media. The route to that seems to be getting in more fans in and hence there is this big talk about some supposedly urgent need to do more to promote the sport. When sport deteriorates into a business, you find all sorts of measures designed, not to preserve the purity and essence of all that made the sport great in the first place but are designed to expand the business. No I'm not saying that things increased overtaking is not needed, they most certainly are. But the measures put in place should preserve the soul of the sport. Expansion and measures to broaden the appeal of the sport dilutes it.

Listen, if you are a true blue racing fan, Formula 1 would automatically appear on your scopes. You simply cannot miss it. You follow racing all the way up the ladder and eventually you'll get there. If there weren't a Formula 1, somebody would invent it. Because its needed. Just as football has a world cup to determine the world's best, motorsport needs Formula 1 to decide just who is the best driver. Its inevitable. And just as a Premier League fan would find his way to the world cup or the European Champions league the racing fan would find his way to Formula 1.

But whats happening right now is this need to cultivate the casual viewer. That seems to be the key in everyone's mind to capture more advertising and sponsorship and hence more money. Well let me give a better alternative to that. Whats really needed is more racing fans. Most casual viewers that I know in actual fact don't give a flying f*** about racing. They really don't. Ask them about GP2, World Touring Cars, Formula 3, Formula Renault or Sportscars and they simply just haven't got a clue. And really they don't care either. So how about, instead of promoting Formula 1, the FIA, the broadcasters and the media promote these other forms of racing?

Think about it. These are the series that desperately need a greater profile and larger followings. Do you know how hard it is for those poor blokes down below to get sponsors? Its bloody unbelievably competitive down there, whether its about fighting for the cash or for position on the race track. Michael Schumacher may be living in a castle and takes spins in a Ferrari Enzo but just ask him about his early days driving an old Ford Escort and living in poverty because everything he had, had to go into the bloody race car. I bet he could have used a few more logos on his car and overalls. Promote junior formulae and other forms of racing. Let sponsors get to know them and draw more crowds there. Get more people to know more about grassroots cut and thrust racing. You'll automatically get more Formula 1 fans. More importantly, you get the right sort of fan. The proper racing fan not a bunch of clueless morons who know nothing and demand the silliest of things.

Back to the main issue. So lay off Fernando. I mean, he bloody well deserves to be where he is now. And if, as Bernie claims, he, like many other drivers, take a lot out of Formula 1, then he bloody well deserve to. He's worked his ass off, paid his dues and now he deserves every good thing he gets. And if you're lucky enough to meet him and find that he's a little reserved (which he is) and doesn't put on that big smile you think you deserve from him (which he won't) and really isn't interested in finding out who you are (which he isn't), just remember he owes you bugger all and you're there to watch him drive and compete. The only person he really owes is God, the universe or whatever you may choose to call providence for him giving him sublime talent.

Lets Speculate

Since there aren't many juicy stories going around whilst waiting for the next grand prix, I'm going to start my own bit of speculation and wild rumour mongering. Some of you out there might have thought about this already.

In my last post, I examined what it would be like if Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen should be teammates at Ferrari. This of course was started by a story in PlanetF1. Not long after that another story appeared on PlanetF1 from the Blick newspaper in Switzerland, that reports that The Iceman will indeed cometh to the Scuderia. PlanetF1 wonders if these senior Ferrari people are talking a little too much.

Then of course, there are persistent rumours regarding multiple MotoGP world champion, the Michael Schumacher of 2 wheels, Valentino Rossi, is considering a move to Ferrari. The latest story to come out comes from the Italian Gazzetto dello Sport where Rossi exclaims that a move to Ferrari would be a huge gamble for him. More so than for Ferrari.

I'm not sure whether the rules allow a 3 car team in Formula 1 but surely from a practical standpoint, not all these drivers will be in the Scuderia at the same time. So which is which? Who or more to the point, which source is correct?

Then slow little me caught on a bit. I wonder if there is in fact no senior Ferrari official leaking out stories and speculation in the press. I wonder if this is all the work of one Bernard Charles Ecclestone, doing what Malaysians would call "test market." (Testing the market in proper English). A sort of market survey if you will.

The logic here being (and I'm not suggesting that it is correct since this is just a wild shot in the dark) that everyone knows most viewers are fans of the Scuderia. Its a valuable commodity where television ratings and revenues are concerned. Ferrari in the past have had very indifferent driver pairings such as Jean Alesi and Ivan Capelli in 1992. Not good. To generate excitement, Bernie needs superstars at Ferrari. But which ones?

Michael Schumacher is without doubt a mega star but perhaps his star is waning at the moment especially in these hard times for Maranello. Kimi Raikkonen seems to have lots of fans and very passionate ones they are. Valentino Rossi is a superstar himself and whilst lots of MotoGP fans also watch Formula 1, nevertheless his presence might bring about a whole new bunch of audiences into grand prix racing. Ah, decisions, decisions. How does the top dog of Formula 1 then decide who drives for the Scuderia? Well, he might throw in a bit of speculative stories in the media and guage the reaction of press and fans. I'm sure Bernie (or one of his disciples) troves the forums on the web.

The question of which superstar goes where is also important in the greater context of the sport's future. There just might be a split in a couple of years. There just might. Drivers are an important part of the attraction. People want to watch their drivers and will choose to view whichever series whether Formula 1 or an alternative depending on where these drivers end up. I'll go even further in my musings. Remember when Bernie got so upset by the Alonso move to McLaren? Oh sure Flav and him are buddies but more than that he's potentially lost a world championship winning superstar to another series come 2008. Thats the real reason why he's so livid. Both he and Flav scream about some sort of breach of ethics. Bah! Hi kettle I'm pot you're black.

As for Rossi, I'd wager that all this talk about risk is really about how fat his bank account will be if he signs for Ferrari. Its too risky? How about the real truth; you want me, you bloody well pay up, mate.

Wait you say. How can Bernie be the one who decides Ferrari's drivers or that of any other team for that matter? Hmmm.... how about Jacques Villeneuve and Nigel Mansell (post Senna) at Williams? Or Nigel Mansell shoved into McLaren when we all know Ron can't stand the sight of Our Nige. Or the countless times he's moved heaven and earth behind the scenes to make the show happen. Ferrari got a fat bonus for signing up to the new Concorde so early on last year. You don't really believe it was all for free do you? After all, Bernie isn't suggesting putting Ide in a Ferrari. Raikkonen, Rossi, Schumi, all superstars who would do proud the Ferrari tradition.

So back to the media speculation. First we had all these stories of Kimi to Ferrari. Good, good, it provokes massive reaction. Some positive noises there. How about Rossi? Mmmmm..... much ado about it. Excellent. Wait. What about Michael? Do people still want to see him around or is everyone expecting or wanting him to go? Lets put a story about him. Okay, now back to Kimi.....

Some of you might be thinking. Why the hell would Kimi want to get out of a quick McLaren and into a troubled Ferrari? Well, in truth, I don't think with Jean and Ross at the helm its going to stay that way forever. Besides, if all goes pear shaped, Max'll just tweak the regs some more. Darn it! They spotted that flexi wing, bah! Howzabout some extra special Bridgestone tyres then come 2007 made with tender loving care especially for the Scuderia? That'll do nicely. But might go too far. Pesky Pat Symonds or Haug will notice. No, just optimizing them for the Ferrari aero and mechanicals will do. Well, if we're going to have a Ferrari walkover in the future, lets at least hope that they'll have two drivers going at it with all they've got.

Perhaps if the manufacturers leave it will be a Ferrari walkover. Or at least a constant Williams v. Ferrari battle for honours. In which case, having drivers at it no holds barred would be extremely important for the show. A thought I'm sure Bernie and Max would not have missed.

But wait again you say. Aren't the GPMA members legally bound to compete in the FIA Formula 1 come 2008 now that their applications have been submitted? Well, have the FIA accepted the applications yet? Absolutely not. An announcement will be made at the end of this month as to who made applications. Of course, Autosport and Pitpass are at pains to note that a contract is in place by these applications and that all teams are contractually bound to turn up in 2008. Har har har. If all these "major manufacturers" want to leave, just what the hell can the FIA do to them? There are lots of ways I can think of for them to squirm their way out. Lots. Think of very high powered, highly expensive legal representation in a civilian court. I'm sure Max will not be stopping them. In fact, he'll probably throw a sendoff bash. But nice one Autosport and Pitpass. I'm sure Max will be granting you guys the paddock passes in 2008. Good boys. Deutschland, deutschland uber alles.....

Kimi And Schumi

According to this article on PlanetF1, Michael Schumacher is expected to continue racing for Ferrari in 2007. This in turn is according to some German daily. First of all, I really hope Michael does continue and if he does its most likely with Maranello for I can't see him in any other team. Michael and Ferrari are synonymous and really has come as a package. Despite whatever trouble in recent times, I think he's still quick enough to do the job. In addition, key personnel such as Jean Todt and Ross Brawn have signed extensions already. The only one who's missing is of course Rory Byrne who hasn't been involved in the design of the cars lately but is still a consultant to the Scuderia.

If its true that Michael will remain at Ferrari for some time to come, what will happen to young Kimi Raikkonen? Its no secret that McLaren still want him in their cars. However, you sense that he's a little fed up by the constant unreliability each season that forces the young Finn to have to work harder than he should have to, through no fault of his own. Although, he's been known to make mistakes. But everyone does. Even Michael himself and Fernando Alonso. Lots of speculation surrounds these Kimi and Michael over the last year. Some have said that Kimi has in fact signed up for Ferrari although this has been denied many times by Kimi himself.

If Michael stays on, would Kimi join Ferrari? Michael himself has said that he would welcome the young Finn into the team. Obviously, he is still confident that he'll be able to show the young pup a thing or two. And why not? He's vastly experience and has moulded the team around himself for the last ten years. They know him inside out and vice versa.

Some might call it suicide for Kimi then to join Maranello whilst the former weltmeister is still present. But is it really? Recall 1988 when Ayrton Senna joined Alain Prost at McLaren. One could argue quite rightly that at that time, McLaren was very much the Frenchman's personal fief. He joined the team in 1984 and quickly became Ron Dennis' favourite driver. In effect, marginalising Niki Lauda and later on, Keke Rosberg from the team and winning the 1985 and 1986 titles. The latter year being his best ever. I thought The Professor was highly political and was very much able to bend the will of the team to his needs in preference to his teammates.

But then in comes Aryton Senna after 3 seasons at Lotus. Even back then, he was my favourite driver but I just couldn't see him breaking Prost's stranglehold on McLaren. I mean, two world champions fell aside trying but it remained Prost's team essentially. But the fact is, despite a brand new car and team to get used to, Ayrton Senna did manage to take the 88 world title. Alain Prost could not have been very happy with that and indeed towards the end of 1988 and especially in 1989, relations between the two deteriorated to an all out war.

Granted, that Honda looked on favourably on Senna having worked with him at Lotus in 1987. In fact, Senna joining the team was probably a condition of Honda for supplying Woking with engines. Would Kimi enjoy such favour at Ferrari? Well, he might. Both Jean Todt and Ross Brawn have admitted to being fans of the young Finn.

Would Kimi be able to rally the team (or at least half of it) to his cause? Well, there's the big question isn't it? Michael has had such a rapport with the team members that its hard to believe that Kimi could do such a thing. And of course, the Finn does strike one as being a little cold. But teams love quick drivers and winners.

Kimi would not come cheap to Ferrari and therein lies another problem. How are the supposedly cash strapped Scuderia able to pay both their considerable retainers? It doesn't seem possible. However, if they really wanted the Finn that badly and fork out his asking price then one would imagine they'd want to maximise their returns and give equal treatment to both. Why pay a gazillion bucks to someone who's just going to pay second fiddle to Michael?

A Kimi / Michael squad would probably be a most exciting prospect, one that hasn't been seen since the days of Senna and Prost. They would push each other over the limit just as the legendary pairing had done. To many observers, one of the ingredients of McLaren's domination in the late eighties was because of the rivalry between the drivers pushing each other to greater and greater heights.

The safe bet would be on Michael to win the confrontation but if Kimi manages to beat him, it would mean a whole lot more. And if not, Michael would further seal his title as perhaps the greatest ever. But the risk Kimi would take is that if Michael did beat him, it would probably destroy himself psychologically and he perhaps may never be able to recover from it. My take is that in equal cars, the battle could go either way. Perhaps not five years ago but now it could.

Way To Go Alex!

"Now thats the way you supposed to drive. From now on, thats how you drive " -- Will Smith as Mike Lowry, Bad Boys

In all the excitement this weekend in Austrlia its easy to overlook a great result from Alex Yoong at the A1GP in China. First a pole position, then a win in the sprint race and second in the feature race today.

Alex in truth has been threatening to do well ever since he got the backing from Proton. In a series that supposedly equal, financial backing is still an important element it seems. And Alex has made full use of it. Today's results adds to some good performances in Indonesia and the States before he had that spin after the infamous Corkscrew.

Like a lot of Malaysians, I have been incredibly hard on Alex largely because I didn't think he deserve his shot in Formula 1 and when given the opportunity didn't have the skill to make full use of it against his illustrious teammates. I think now in A1GP, with the nation's attention firmly off him, the pressure is far less and he can just concentrate on the business of driving. Clearly, he's enjoying himself a lot more and I fully applaud his result. Truly well done Alex and you deserve praise for this. Hopefully, when you're out and about town, people won't be trying so hard to avoid you. Maybe you'll even get fans asking for autographs!

Well done and respect!

Where Will Kimi Go?

The Formula 1 headlines in 2005 have been dominated largely by Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. Even now with the season long over, they continue to make the headlines. Well we know where Fernando is heading but speculation intensifies as to where the young Finn will head off to once his McLaren contract runs out in 2006.

Many are saying Ferrari will be his next port of call. Some like Bernie are saying that he'll be there only if Michael Schumacher retires or leaves Ferrari. Some are even saying that a possibility exists that Kimi would partner Schumacher if the mighty German decides to stay. Bernie is speculating that even Renault is a possibility.

And now this headline appears on Pitpass. According to it, even big budget Toyota is setting their eyes on the Finn. According to the article, Ferrari's finances or lack of it, may put paid to their plans of signing Kimi. And so, Toyota might be one of the teams to be able to afford the undoubtedly large retainer the Finn is demanding.

12 months ago I doubt if Kimi would have demanded such high pecuniary benefits. A recap of his career would illustrate why. Kimi entered Formula 1 along with Alonso and Montoya in 2001. Whilst Alonso had won the World Series by Nissan and Montoya had just come from great successes in Champcars, young Kimi came to it with nothing more than 23 car races and a season in Formula Renault! Despite such lack of experience, his manager Steve Robertson (who also oversaw Jenson Button) had the temerity to recommend the Finn to Peter Sauber.

Such is his talent however, he hardly faced any problems whatsoever and Peter Sauber is known to have been highly impressed not only with his talent but the fact that he simply knew what was going on. Some people may have the speed but to make sense of the fast paced and highly complex world of grand prix racing even on his first test with Sauber, is on the level of genius.

I think its easy then to see why Ron Dennis chose him over Nick Heidfeld. Nick arguably did better at Sauber but that was only down to his relatively vast experience. Kimi showed much more potential. Still, the Finn was no without choices. Apparently Ferrari too made him an offer for 2002 but Kimi would choose McLaren because it offered equal treatment for its drivers.

A winless 2002 was followed by a single victory and runner up in the 2003 championship. I'm proud to say that I had the pleasure of witnessing Kimi's first victory in Sepang that year. Another victory and a diffcult 2004 followed that.

So, after years in Formula 1 in one the most successful teams in the sport, Kimi emerged only with a couple of victories in hand. While most were tipping him for future championship honours but up until the end of 2004, doubts lingered on his ability. Funny how the pundits do that. I remember that even Ayrton Senna after 3 seasons at Lotus with no world championships and only 6 wins to show for it had his doubters as well. These were those who would compare him to Mansell, Piquet and Prost who were taking championships or winning more races. If Kimi was feeling a little frustrated by Woking, it was up until then, staying there was still his best option. This season, given a car befitting his considerable talent, Kimi notched 7 wins matching Alonso. And no one doubts that had he a more reliable car, he would have won considerably more than that.

With those seven wins and being named as driver of the year by many including Autosport, Kimi has truly arrived right smack into superstardom, at the very same time as Fernando Alonso. It seems that with that status, he (or his management) wants the cash to go with it.

I think if McLaren had produced the goods and he had won the championship this year, in all likelihood Kimi would not be entertaining any thoughts of leaving Woking. But this year as in 2003 and 2004 has been yet another frustration and the Finn is fast losing his patience with a team that to me, has been letting its drivers down for a long time ever since Mika Hakkinens final two seasons.

However, is Ferrari really the best option? If he were to share the team with Michael Schumacher, he'll face a monumental task gathering support to himself. If Michael, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne aren't there, then in all honesty I think it simply wouldn't be the same winning team. Given also that Ferrari are strapped for cash, it doesn't seem wise. In fact, staying put at McLaren seems to be the best choice.

If Renault does stay in Formula 1 in the long term, then at this present moment, it would seem a good idea to join them. However, I feel this team could be dominated by the two big spending Japanese teams Honda and Toyota even if they did stay in the long term. I have a feeling by 2007 these two teams will be a major force and the only team I do see staying apace with them is McLaren. Red Bull, despite signing a superstar engineer recently have got a lot of work to do. Their task is still harder than that of Toyota and Honda to make it to the top step.

Still for Raikkonen, it must be nice to have lots of options and lots of people knocking on your door. Its nice to have money of course but any serious driver's priority would really be all about the best option for winning championships. At moment, I think Kimi should give serious consideration about being Alonso's partner in 2007 even if the money won't be as much as he'd hope.

Alonso To McLaren in 2007

This piece of news gave me a shock for a couple of reasons. First, the last place anyone would've expected Alonso to go was McLaren and second, unlike the Sauber-BMW-Williams deal, no word of this emerged anywhere in the mainstream press. So, Big Ron scores twice in the last one week. First, the Vodafone deal and now this huge surprise with Fernando Alonso. I have a feeling these deals may be linked. Perhaps Vodafone wanted Fernando in the team. Fernando himself is only saying that he wanted a fresh challenge to win the world championship again with another team, having secured his dream this year.

So now the questions and speculations. We know for sure someone in the McLaren team will be vacating his race seat. Who'll it be and where will he go. Lets start with Juan Pablo Montoya. In case anyone's forgotten, he has only recently joined the McLaren team this year and whilst the relationship went through a rough beginning, nevertheless Juan Pablo I thought did well towards the end of the year. Should 2006 be hist last year for McLaren, I'd be very surprised because I'm pretty sure he'll be on top of things from the start. And should he leave where would he go? Surely not to Williams. Can't see him at Renault. Ferrari?

In fact, the person everyone seems to be expecting to leave is Kimi Raikkonen. There were plenty of rumours during the 2005 season that he had signed for Ferrari in 2007. Could the rumours now be true? Kimi is one of my favourite drivers. He's got speed, talent and he hardly makes mistake. To see him driving for the cads, its a thought thats pretty hard to bear. But all the signs seem to be that the young Finn will be wearing scarlet.

In the meantime, Ron Dennis is singing praises about his young protege Lewis Hamilton, the Formula 3 Euroseries star. Though Ron believes that Lewis will not be breaking into Grand Prix motor racing in a McLaren but should Hamilton blitz the field as he did in the Euroseries then one can imagine Ron Dennis will keep him under consideration for a 2007 race seat. And if that be the case, then both the current Silver Arrows drivers will be leaving this time next year.

Who will replace Alonso at Renault? In fact, there are rumours rife that Renault will not in fact be around by then. Or that at the very least 2007 will be its last season before pulling out. Speculation is that Mark Webber, a Flavio Briatore managed driver will be filling the void.

Ron Dennis made an interesting statement during the announcement: "Our aim for next year remains absolutely clear to everybody within the team – we want to win races and be in a position where we might have two Formula One World Champions driving for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes in 2007." Wonder if that means that the two drivers will have to slug it out to keep their seats or perhaps McLaren will definitely be backing just one of the drivers for 2006. Will Renault now throw their weight behind Giancarlo Fisichella for 2006 in an effort to prevent Alonso running away with the number 1 in 2007?

How does all this affect Herr Schumacher? If indeed Kimi is Ferrari bound for 2007, does this mean that he'll be leaving for retirement? Or is there something more to the stories linking him to Red Bull. When Ron Dennis speaks of two world champions, could he have meant the inclusion of Michael Schumacher in the team?

In the meantime, Renault have expressed their dismay at the news. Some other reactions can be found here on GrandPrix.com.

The news of Alonso's signing will have created many questions that I'm certain will be answered in the coming weeks.

Some News And Thoughts

To no one's surprise, Nick Heidfeld has signed for the BMW team for 2007-2008. What remains to be seen is whether or not he drives for the Hinwil based squad in 2006. This all depends on the outcome of Buttongate II. Either driver would do a great job for Frank and Patrick in my opinion. However, Frank is reputedly holding on to Button because of sponsorship deals that depend on the Englishman to return to Grove. Its a mess but I think Frank should just keep Nick around.

Whilst the driver's championship is by and large a foregone conclusion, the Italian Grand Prix has left McLaren just eight points behind Renault and with the fastest machines at the moment I think looks spot on to capture the constructor's title. Nevertheless, I'm quite annoyed with Mercedes-Ilmor for all the cock ups they've done this season. By rights, McLaren ought to have both championships in the bag.

This horrible trend of unreliability goes way back to Hakkinen's time and probably cost that other Flying Finn another title for himself. This habit of letting their driver's down simply must stop. I surely hope now that the Formula 1 side of Ilmor has been sold on to Mercedes things will improve in the future. Also, with Honda leaving the IRL, Ilmor has one thing less on its mind and can put more focus on where it counts, the world championship. Although I'm not sure if the Mercedes buyout means that Ilmor no longer plays any part in Formula 1 directly. Honda's IRL engines are made by Ilmor. Ilmor is also involved in a NASCAR programme with Roger Penske.

The other team thats on the move seems to be Toyota. I've hoped that the Cologne based squad would win at least one race this season but I think if they were to do that, they would have demonstrated the required speed by now. At the moment they're simply too far behind in terms of speed to be able to challenge the McLarens and Renaults, or even the BARs for that matter. Still they are only eight points behind Ferrari and are looking good to beat Maranello to third spot. If that is the case, it would still be a good achievement for Toyota considering years of chronic underachievement.

In the driver's championship, Montoya looks well placed to put Michael Schumacher down a notch. He's just five points behind. In fact, Jarno Trulli is also in the running to finish ahead of the German. Even though the Italian is 12 points behind Schumacher, he's at least finishing in the points whilst Schumacher's prancing mule is too slow to score any.

I just had this thought the other day. Which current Formula 1 engine maker has the least experience building racing V8s? Lets see. There's Toyota in the IRL and Champcars both using V8 engines of 3.0 litres normally aspirated and 2.65 litres of turbocharged configurations. The same goes for Honda although their IRL engines are built by Ilmor. Ilmor of course builds Mercedes Formula 1 engines and formerly built the Chevrolet and Mercedes Champcar V8s, so we can count Mercedes as V8 ready. Cosworth we all know about.

That just leaves Renault, Ferrari and BMW. I'm not sure that BMWs V8 on the M3 GTR gives them much relevant experience. Ferrari have in the past made turbo V8s for the Lancia sportscar team but that was ages ago. But at least they have a V8 running right now. That just leaves Renault. I don't recall but has Renault got their V8 up and running yet? Whatever it is, 20,000 plus RPM V8s are new to all of them but I should think Mercedes, Toyota and Cosworth should be quite strong next year. So too can Honda who have also got their V8 up and running in a car, no doubt aided by some American domestic racing experience.

A Fernando Alonso related poll is running on PlanetF1 Readers are asked whether Alonso deserved to win this year's title. Of course internet polls cannot be relied upon totally for their accuracy but apparently a little more than half of the respondents believed that he does not. I can't for the life of me understand why that should be the case. I think he's driven really well for Renault, taking crucial victories and making very few mistakes. He's temprament is superb and he's also incredibly quick. Let us not forget that Fisichella up until this point has beaten every team mate thats come across his path. That includes the likes of Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button. Yes, he's had his share of poor luck but by and large the Spaniard has had the upper hand.

Alonso to my mind deserves the championship this year. Even Ron Dennis would agree to that. Looks like he'll be the first of the year 2001 class, a group that includes Montoya and Raikkonen, to win the world championship. Its great to see that all three are currently thriving, winning races with a bright future ahead.

The final word on the Raikkonen, Schumacher and Valentino Rossi rumours must go to Bernie Ecclestone who says in this article that Raikkonen will replace a retiring Schumacher after 2006. The Finn would be driving alongside Valentino Rossi. This despite all the denials by Kimi. Schumacher at least has owned up to the possibility of retirement after 2006. A decision the German says will be forthcoming in March of next year. In the meantime, FIAT's chairman Luca diMontezemolo and Ferrari boss Jean Todt are both saying nice things about Rossi. This has earned the disapproval of one Niki Lauda, former Ferrari driver. Personally I'd prefer to see Raikkonen remain at McLaren and Fernando Alonso Maranello bound. Whatever it is, Bernie's word should never be ignored in Formula 1 because they have a habit of coming true.

BAR has finally released Anthony Davidson and the Brit is free to look elsewhere for a race seat. The only thing he's got right now is a Jordan test. If those BAR morons had released him last year, Anthony would be in a Williams by now. So much for keeping him as a future race driver, instead BAR go and hire Rubens Barrichello and are fighting to keep Jenson Button. Can you believe the 90 million dollar story? Jeez.

Wish I was back in London. McLaren are throwing a bash at Harrods featuring last years MP4/19, the overrated Mercedes SLR and a McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 simulator. Apparently the quickest customer on the simulator will get to win prizes. Never mind the prizes but if I beat Kimi's time on the simulator, can I then have a go in the real MP4/20? In fact Senna's 1988 MP4/4 as driven by his nephew Bruno at Goodwood will do just fine.

Interesting article at GrandPrix.com about Petronas. The Petronas E01 engine designed by Sauber Petronas Engineering headed by ex-Honda man Osamu Goto will be licensing the technology to a couple of Chinese car companies, Nanjing and Brilliance. The article also tells the tale of an aborted Formula 1 engine programme under SPE and Osamu after the Asian economic crisis.

Anyway, its just funny. The 2.0 litre Petronas E01 engine was fitted to a Proton Satria (Mitsubishi Colt) and a Proton Perdana (Mitsubishi Eterna) and it was thought that these would make it into production. I have a friend who had sampled both cars fitted with these prototype engines and apparently they're stunningly superb. That would have been something to us performance starved enthusiasts in Malaysia but that plan was ditched. Instead what did Proton do? Source underpowered Renault engines for the Proton Waja (Impian in the UK) and Savvy and fit in the Proton designed and completely rubbish Campro engine in the Gen2. The Campro engine is known to have some serious design issues. I'm sure the cronies have their reasons but from a car buyer and enthusiast standpoint, they're morons. There goes an opportunity to delight high performance enthusiasts.

Make no mistake, despite the astronomical sales of these horribly borring family cars like the Toyota Camry and Innova (ugh!), there are lots of performance enthusiasts just waiting to get their hands on an affordable offering. At the moment you just can't find a good enthusiast car for under 100,000 ringgit in Malaysia and thats completely sad. No, bloody Satria GTis absolutely do not count. In these days it can't even be considered anywhere near high performance. And I'm not shelling out 70 grand for technology thats more than 12 years old.

Minardi is apparently going to be taken over by Red Bull. Pitpass article is here. Red Bull, concerned about the lack of racing seats for their young 'uns wants to take over the Faenza based squad and turn it into Red Bull Team USA. Presumably they'll put Scott Speed in one. If this is true then that just fantastic news for Minardi. I've always thought the little squad deserves better than what they've got now. A large dollop of cash would be of enormous benefit and I'm sure they'll make better use of the funds than some of the other teams in the paddock.

This also plays into the hands of Bernie and Max. With Paul Stoddart out of the way, thats a big thorn out of their sides. Plus, with Red Bull already signing up to the Concorde agreement, here's another team that could do so by default.

Speaking of Concorde agreements, according to Bernie a number of teams are on the verge of signing the new one. Moreover, the FIA president believes the GPMA is all show and no go. In recent months after the announcement of the GPMA we've in fact hardly heard anything from these blokes. All the talk seems to be on reconciliation. Now that Frank Williams is free of BMW he's expressed some concerns about the GPMA especially commercially.

Williams' stance lately has been puzzling. Rumour has it they are on the verge of switching to Bridgestone tyres for next season. And now these reservations regarding the GPMA tells me he's about to sign up with Bernie sometime soon and could be one of those people Max keeps referring to.

More Rumours

It seems that the Bild newspaper in Germany is at it again. Now it is alleged by them that Kimi Raikkonen will be replacing the German at the Scuderia. Another story on the same topic appears here on GrandPrix.com.

I've never ever read the Bild and even if I could get a copy I don't understand German but by the look of their website, they're no better than The Sun tabloid in the UK. Whatever comes out of them must be taken with tablespoons of salt.

However, GrandPrix makes a valid point. Why did Ron Dennis have to go public a few months ago trying convince Kimi to stay with Woking in the long term?

Nevertheless, it is no secret that both Ross Brawn and Jean Todt fancies the Finnish driver in one of their cars. But its always been thought that this would only be the case when Michael retires.

Another interesting little tidbit surrounding the Schumacher-McLaren rumour is this latest article in ITV-F1. The Mole ties the rumours with Bernie Ecclestone's plans for a GP1 series that is to either be placed in between GP2 and Formula 1 or to replace Formula 1 entirely. Pitpass had this story a few weeks back discussing Bernie's possible plans for GP1.

Meanwhile according to GrandPrix.com, this is all simply a negotiation tactic by Schumacher and Willi Webber to get Ferrari to shell out some 50 million bucks a season for the 7 times world champion's continued service with Maranello. Thats serious money really. In fact I think its more than Minardi's budget for the whole season. What with Fiat being in serious financial distress, Ferrari can ill afford it.

However, I'd like to believe that Michael would stay true to the team he built and took to unprecedented success. After he doesn't really need anymore cash right? Surely, even in this modern world there is still some sense of honour and loyalty.

Well, you might believe that Michael wouldn't need any more dosh. I'm not so sure about Willi Webber though. The only manager to have a private jet, I wouldn't put it past him to want a nice little castle just like Mike. A 20% commission on 50 million bucks should be enough to pay for one. Jeez he gets paid more than most drivers. And all he does it talk.

Update

Well, well. GrandPrix.com is running this story and this time its making no bones about it. Apparently GrandPrix.com sources say that a Kimi move to Maranello is sure to happen come 2007. However, it seems that Michael Schumacher will not be McLaren bound but is retiring at the end of 2006. Can't say anyone will be surprised by that. It seems a better than even chance that he will retire soon.

If this story is true, then I think Kimi is foolish for doing so. McLaren are on the up. Ferrari without Michael Schumacher just won't be the same. Kimi is a good driver but I'm not sure he's capable of leading the Ferrari team the way Michael does. In addition, once Michael retires so will Ross Brawn, another major asset to Maranello. My prediction is once these heavyweights retire, Ferrari will face another drought of championships.

Now who's looking good for a McLaren seat then? God I hope its not bloody Alex Wurz. He's overrated in my book and there's a reason why he was dropped by Benetton and now spends his time pounding the McLarens in testing. He's just not good enough.

All very well, but Ferrari are denying the rumours. Funny, they didn't have a problem when Jenson Button was linked to Maranello a few months ago. But they're getting worked up over this. Heh. Heh. Everyone's very strong on their denials. Something must be going on.

Watch this space.

Rumour Mongering

Amusing headline covered in various websites and even newspapers this week is the rumour that Michael Schumacher is thinking about switching to McLaren. This story was originally ran by the German Bild newspaper.

Apparently after a couple of meetings between Michael and Norbert Haug in Bernie's motorhome with Willi Webber in tow, the newspaper speculates that Michael has had enough of Ferrari's lack of pace and is ready for a faster car.

This has been denied not just by Michael but also by Willi Webber and by Norbert Haug.

I think the rumours are just plain bullshit though. There's just no way he'd leave "his" team for a place where a certain Ron Dennis would laugh at the thought of preferential treatment for any of his drivers.

Let's however, entertain the thought for a moment. If, I say again, if, it were true you might ask a few questions. Like which McLaren driver is likely to be dropped for instance. And would that driver then be Ferrari bound for another. As for Michael's motivations, could it be that Mercedes is looking for their former prodigy to return to the fold once again. Enough of Latin lovers its time to go back to the German wife as it were.

After all, Michael Schumacher along with Heinz Harald Frentzen was once part of the Mercedes Junior team. This being the Mercedes sportscar team run of course by a certain Peter Sauber. The seniors of the squad of course included multiple Le Mans winner Jochen Mass. I remember Jochen Mass saying that of the two, Heinz Harald was the more gifted talent wise. But perhaps Michael was the more intelligent of the pair. I guess it takes a whole lot more than fancy driving to succeed in the top ranks of the sport.

All highly unlikely of course given the heavy personal investment Michael has made in Ferrari through all the tough times. However improbable some things may be this is Formula 1. Only a few months ago it was unlikely that Barrichello would leave Maranello but look where he is now. And only a few months ago Peter Sauber was vehemently denying a BMW buyout and now look what happened. The only thing we can say is that the chances of Michael leaving is much smaller than Rubens leaving the team.

Nick Heidfeld GT4 Challenge

The UK based Evo magazine ran a series of articles about the Nurburgring recently. No, no, not that silly Tilke designed dog that holds the European Grand Prix every year. No, I'm talking about the original and peerless Nordschleife. Yeah, that track you get to play with on Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo 4. One of the articles in Evo featured BMW Williams driver, Nick Heidfeld who gave a taxi ride at the fabled circit to writer John Barker in the latest V10 engined BMW M5.

As he trundled along the Nordschleife, Quick Nick more than once compared driving it in real life with Kazunori's masterpiece on the Sony Playstation. It seems our Nick, like a lot of these young drivers, loves to have a go on video games. And if the Evo article is anything to go by, the Nordschleife modelled in GT4 is quite accurate. Evo even suggests getting familiar with the track on GT4 first before tackling the real thing.

Anyway, in the article Nick Heidfeld states the quickest time he's lapped the Nordschleife on Playstation. And hence this challenge.

Playing in arcade mode, take the Opel Astra DTM racer, using soft (presumably R5) tyres, with the car set up for maximum horsepower (552 bhp as allowed in arcade mode) and minimum weight (900kg), Nick Heidfeld sets a time of 6m 04s.

The challenge is, using the same car i.e. the Opel Astra DTM racer, on the same circuit, the Nordschleife, beat his time. Its got to be done in arcade mode and for god's sake, no cheat modes and the like. By the way, Quick Nick uses the gamepad, not a steering wheel. I've never played GT4 using a force feedback wheel before. Though I'd imagine it to be harder than using a gamepad.

Now when I first set about trying to beat Nick's time, I thought to myself it wasn't going to be a big deal. After all, I once watched Nigel Mansell have a go at a grand prix arcade game (the name escapes me now) and he was just completely hopeless on it. He kept hitting the walls and going off. Driving on the video game was different he said because in real life you get to see far off into the distance and thus was able to better anticipate and plan ahead. So was Nick going to be any different? I thought not at first.

When I play GT4 on arcade mode, I usually just accept whatever the console gives me. I never ever change the set up of the car. The car's original 1000kg weight, 460 bhp power and R2 race tyres are used. So, it was on my first attempt. I took the Opel DTM, did a lap and 6 minutes and 44 seconds later came to a conclusion that I needed more work on this. Now, the Astra itself is a fine car to drive. Rock stable and very quick through the twisty bits, blunted only by the tiniest whiff of understeer but nothing to be concerned about.

I read the Evo article again and adjusted the set up of the car. I dropped the weight down to 900kg and increased the power to 552 bhp and stuck with R2 rubber. The lap times improved but not by much. Out went R2 tyres for R3. The lap times tumble again. 6m 24s. This is proving a little tough. So, I figured when Nick said he chose soft tyres he meant the R5 super softs. Alrighty then. R5 it is.

I really love the Nordschleife. I've never driven the real thing ever but I've promised myself that I'd do it once at least in my lifetime. The combination of medium and high speed sweeps is completely intoxicating. Even on the Playstation. I've yet to meet anyone who prefers that awful Tilke like Twin Ring Montegi to the Nurburgring. There's just no contest. Other console and pc games claim to be more realistic than GT4 but hey, none of them include the Nordschleife circuit. Plus GT4 was developed by a petrolhead in association with a group of petrolheads including those good folks at Evo magazine UK. In addition, if its good enough for Nick Heidfeld, its good enough for us mere mortals.

Back on the Playstation, my first run on R5 tyres saw me do 6m 15s. Goddamn. When I first started GT4 I played the Nordschleife more than any other circuit. In fact, I didn't play any other circuit except the Nurburgring. Of course when you first start there's not much choice of cars so my favourite thing was to go in arcade mode and lap it in the '05 BMW M5. 7m 27s is my record in the V10 monster. (Oh and to my rivals... you losers have yet to beat that!) Standard power and weight on S2 tyres. I actually prefer to lap in normal cars because it feels more realistic. After all, I wouldn't know how a real Audi R8 feels like but the M5 would be more familiar.

So, after my first run I was a little disturbed knowing that I'm 11 seconds off Quick Nick's time. Still, I figure I must be lifting off where I shouldn't and plain just not quick enough in the twisty bits. I make a renewed effort. After a few times, I'm down to 6m 9s. That's more like it but I'm still 5 seconds off his time. Over 73 corners this means that on average I need to be 0.068 seconds quicker on each one. That's quite achievable.

If I didn't have that 6m 4s record to chase I probably would've stopped right there. But ain't no way I'm stopping at that. As it is, I'm learning that I'm too slow in the first third of the lap, from turn 1 all the way Schwedenkruez. After a few runs I'm gaining 2 seconds just over that section alone. Flugplatz can be taken in top gear after the slightest of dabs on the brakes. And the left kink after Fuchsrohre and into Adenauer-Forst I needn't shift down to fifth. Just a slight tap on the brakes.

My favourite section of the Nordschleife is from Karusselll to Galgenkopf. Mostly medium speed corners in third and fourth but those really are the best bits. I discover that I'm too slow in the Opel through Wipperman and Brunnchen. I'm so used to the M5 you see. The bewinged and diffusered Opel can take those beautiful turns way way quicker. I also discover that whereas you'd brake and downshift before the jump going into Pflanzgarten 2 in the M5, you needn't worry about the Opel. Just go through it flat in fifth. Brilliant. Even in arcade mode the Opel copes with the bumps of Pflanzgarten 2 perfectly ensuring you can snatch sixth in that section. Normally in simulation mode I'd set the suspension really soft and raise the ride height so that the suspension has more travel to cope with bumps and jumps. My Audi R8 for instance is set with near road car levels of spring stiffness, with the absolute minimum of bump damping but an appropriate level of rebound damping.

Still I'm 5 seconds adrift. The other challenge with the Nordschleife is keeping consistent. Because its such a long lap, my performance over a section of the lap differs greatly from one lap to another. On some runs I'm quick of sector 2 whereas on others I'm quick on sector 1 but completely blow it on sector 2. Keeping consistent is a must.

In the end I do it. The lap wasn't perfect but I made it. Again I find massive gains on sector 1 of the lap, especially through Hatzenbach and Flugplatz. I'm up by nearly 2.9 seconds over there. But then I start losing time at Fuchsrohre and Adenauer Forst. And again I lose it at Exmuhle. That nasty bump in the middle of Exmuhle sending the Opel into understeer and I'm forced to slow down. Still I'm 2 seconds quicker overall on this run. I do well over the next sector and coming out of Galgenkopf and hitting the timing beam on the long straight I'm 3.999 seconds ahead of my previous record. I'm not sure if I've come out that tricky corner before the straight well enough but we'll see. My foot is flat on the floor all the way to the third last tight right hander before the start finish. At the start finish line the time on the board is 6m 04.417s.

Phew! That was tough. OK so I know there are some of you out there quicker than Nick and I but this was a challenge for me and my limited abilities at least. Could I do a faster lap time? I know I can. In fact on subsequent runs, again I find massive gains of over a second at the first sector. Man, I must have really sucked through there previously. Alas, on those subsequent runs I end up crashing at one point or another, overdoing my effort. Still, I know I can go quicker. I just need to be more consistent.

Though, using a joypad on the Playstation being consistent is kinda hard but its all a matter of timing your button presses correctly. Some people might not know this but its also possible to keep a constant throttle using the joypad. Just feather the throttle button and keep it steady. The car will assume a constant throttle. Essential especially when going through slow corners and hairpins like the Karussell.

I haven't beaten Nick Heidfeld... yet. But I've matched him. Well, at least on Playstation. I know I'll never even come remotely close to him in real life. Even Quick Nick has reservations tackling the Nordschleife in the M5. In the article he admits to easing up during the taxi ride. On the Playstation you don't have to contend with g-forces and the violence that actually goes on during the course of a lap in any car. There are also no problems about whether you're brave enough to take Fuchsrorhe flat out. In real life, the Nordschleife must be a scary place. Thrilling but really scary. Getting it wrong there would in Nick Heidfelds words "be madness."

So if you fancy benchmarking yourself with a Formula 1 driver, then take up the challenge. Again, no cheating. Use the Opel DTM racer in arcade mode. 6m 04s is your target.

I suggest you buy a copy of Evo and read the article. Its brilliant especially if you're planning a trip to the Nordschleife any time soon. Its got a complete guide to the legendary circuit including where to stay and places to go. Also check out www.nurburgring.org.uk for more information. Ben Lovejoy's guide must be the web's best.

I really must go to the Eifel region in Germany before I die. Oh and to John Barker of Evo magazine: You may have helped develop GT4 but you suck! 6m 25s? That's chump change. 5m 53s in the Audi R8 (simulation mode, R1 tyres, 911 bhp) is your time to beat mate.

News Roundup

Summertime... and the living is hazy. But for the Formula 1 teams, at least some are taking a break from the activities. Unless of course, you're Ferrari in which case you do whatever you damn well please.

Maybe I've been spoilt by back to back grand prix thats happened quite a lot this season but three weeks before Istanbul seems like an age. And where there is no action, there's very little news. Its even quiet on the silly season front.

The Formula 1 news websites seem to be out of ideas as to what news to publish. So, we get silly things like news of Jenson Button getting back together with Louis Griffiths. And some congratulatory articles like this one.

Elsewhere, someone started a rumour saying that Mika Hakkinen is being pursued by BMW as they embark on their journey as a full fledge team. This is simply most unlikely as our Mika is getting on and is currently quite happy at the DTM. I'm sure some people are connecting him to BMW on account of his connection with Williams last year. Frank and Mika were in discussions but that plan fell through when Frank decided to try and take Jenson Button instead. A non plussed Mika decided to drop plans for an F1 return and take a drive in DTM. Still, he remains an incredibly popular driver and one that a lot of Formula 1 fans really miss. In a recent poll on Planet F1, he was voted as the driver most people would like to see returning.

Everyone these days wants to keep their options open. Fernando Alonso being one of them. Ferrari is clearly an option once his Renault contract runs out in 2006. Driving for Maranello appeals to the Spaniard but his first priority is to get behind the wheel of the fastest car. At the moment that is clearly Renault and McLaren.

Fernando had this to say: "At Ferrari there’s always been a number one and a number two driver, and things have always been very clear. For the other nine teams, I’d say that in theory the car conditions and the priority among drivers are equal." True but it should be noted that this situation came to existence only when Michael Schumacher arrived at Maranello. Enzo Ferrari in his day would laugh at the notion. Like Frank Williams, Enzo Ferrari believed that the most important thing was to win the constructor's championship. The driver's championship to Enzo was strictly secondary and was completely up to the drivers to fight for it between themselves.

When Schumacher arrived at Ferrari, he was joined a year later by Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn and clearly it seemed that the three would do another Benetton. At Benetton clearly the entire team was structured around the German. Even the design of the Benettons and now the Ferraris were optimized for Michael's driving style. If his team mate could adapt to the car fine otherwise it wouldn't matter.

Even though he'd hate to admit it but Michael's style is very much like the late great Ayrton Senna. The Brazilian was also notorious for demanding the complete attention of Lotus when he signed up for them. The difference between Michael and Ayrton was that Ayrton then went to McLaren where he had to contend with that other great driver Alain Prost. And despite not winning the 1989 championship, Ayrton generally had the measure of the Frenchmen. Michael has not been similarly tested. Sure, some would argue that he had Nelson Piquet for a team mate at the start of his career but surely it can be said that Nelson Piquet was already on his way out at the time. When Senna joined Prost at McLaren, the Frenchmen was still at the height of his powers, in a team he fashioned as his own.

At the end of the day, once Michael leaves, I'm sure the powers at Maranello will be going back to the days when both their drivers got similar attention. I doubt if anyone will be able to pull off another stunt like that in the future. Nevertheless both Kimi and Fernando (and perhaps Button) will be looking for signs that the Italian team will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. I doubt it myself.

Harking back to the old days, here's a little rant by Nigel Mansell on ITV-F1. A very enlightening article, not least for this link to nobok.com. Anyway, Nigel gives us an account of events that transpired during the 1994 Australian Grand Prix. Yes, you remember, the one where Michael Schumacher took out Damon Hill to win his first world title.

Nigel alleges that some of the powers took him to one side and told him to stand back and simply let the two championship contenders duke it out for the race. All this, after sticking his Williams on pole position by a full second. He got in trouble for that too and was told to hang back during the race.

Mansell further alleges that Michael Schumacher had asked for some bits of kerbing to be lowered after the German ran over them and damaged his Benetton Ford during qualifying. Mansell, having none of it told them to stop work. For this, he apparently got into hot soup again with the powers. Michael didn't get his way that time but at Sepang in 2000 he managed to get a pole stuck at the apex of Turn 2. This I suppose was to prevent a repeat of David Coulthard's move on him at the same corner.

There are many reasons to doubt Mansell's story. I mean, if he really was as quick as he says he is, why was he so hapless at McLaren the following season? Mika Hakkinen completely blew him away. Nevertheless, if Mansell's story is true then its quite troubling. I have no doubt that Bernie was behind all that but it all reeks of WWF wrestling style sports entertainment. Completely bullshit that is.

Still, Bernie or whomever it was probably had their reasons. Business related reasons that is. After all 1994 was a terrible year that saw the death of Ayrton Senna at Imola. This lead to a safety paranoia everywhere which was making the action a little boring. Michael Schumacher was running away with the championship at one point before a two race ban was placed on his Benetton team for cheating. Some way it was the traction control in his car (which was banned that year) and others say it was for the wooden plank at the bottom of his car being of an illegal thickness. In fact, Nigel Mansell's return to Formula 1 after a year and a half in Indycars was a move to spice up Formula 1 again. So, I guess they didn't want this old geezer getting in a way of an otherwise classic showdown at the final race of the season.

Moving along, here's a good article by Mike Lawrence of Pitpass showing us the history of wind tunnel technology in Formula 1. An interesting read but I don't agree with the conclusion that aerodynamics is a technology that has no meaning to most fans. I'd say there are plenty of fans with huge interests on any technology, aero being one of them. Its just that we hardly get a glimpse of the technology involved because its all so secretive. But I'm certainly fascinated by such aspects and when a previously secret technology is revealed, I'm the first to read about it if I can get my hands on it.

Lastly, we see 6 time world MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi doing yet another test with Ferrari at Maranello in last year's F2004. His times were a couple of seconds off Michael Schumacher's lap record set last year. Valentino has already signed up for Yamaha in 2006 but after that anything's possible. This has lead to speculation that he would be taken on as an official test driver for Ferrari. I think a lot of people would like to see the Italian driving in Formula 1. I'm sure Bernie would want that as well as it would attract plenty of new viewers who normally only watch MotoGP.

If Michael Schumacher were to retire, then a Rossi/Alonso or Rossi/Raikkonen partnership at Maranello would go a long way towards making up for the loss. To be honest, I like the sound of that but it would only work if Rossi is able to go as quickly in a car as he is on a bike. Perhaps a year spent testing will prove the case.