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F1 poised for classic battleFormula One by Andrew Benson - BBC Sport (U1647787) 10 March 2008   Bernie Ecclestone’s dream has come true – well, mostly, anyway. Lewis knows to beat Kimi he’s going to have to take risks, to push it very, very hard Williams co-owner Patrick Head And that leaves the tantalising prospect of a two-way shoot-out for the title between Raikkonen and Hamilton.That might lack the intrigue and delicious complexity of last year’s three-way battle, but it has a satisfying purity to it. Alonso is a more complete driver than Raikkonen – probably than Hamilton, too, for now – but many would see a Hamilton-Raikkonen fight as one between the two out-and-out fastest racing drivers in the world. It is in the midst of exactly this sort of intense personal battle that classic confrontations can be made. The received wisdom in the F1 paddock is that Ferrari have a potentially decisive edge on race pace, but that McLaren may well be able to challenge and beat them in qualifying, and could again have an edge on reliability. What most are sure of, though, is that the battle will be long and closely fought – something both men will be aware of and relishing. Williams co-owner Patrick Head spent some time observing the title contenders at a test at Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya last month, and he is relishing the season ahead. “I watched Lewis out on the track in Barcelona,” Head said, “and you could see he was really wringing the car’s neck. “It wasn’t a question of going through the motions on a long run – he was really sawing at the wheel, right on the edge. “He knows to beat Kimi he’s going to have to take risks, to push it very, very hard.” Head said he rated Raikkonen and Hamilton’s team-mates, Felipe Massa and Heikki Kovalainen as “very quick”, but that in the end “it’ll be between Kimi and Lewis”. “I’ve got huge regard for Kimi Raikkonen,” Head said. “In a way, he’s actually almost under-rated if you think how many times he almost won the championship with McLaren. “You’d have to say McLaren exhibited remarkable reliability last year, far better than Ferrari, but you’d have to say in the years like 2003 and 2005 he was let down [by poor reliability]. “Kimi could be a three-time world champion now if McLaren had done a job to the standard they did last year, so I’ve got huge regard for Kimi and I think anybody that beats him is going to have to be very, very good. “But it’s going to be a piece of paper - circumstance or luck - that will decide between Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen and I couldn’t judge which one it will be.” That might not be the perfect three-way dogfight Ecclestone dreamed of – but one would imagine even he would be happy with a season like that. Latest 10 commentsRead members' comments or add your own
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U7962744 posted Mar 16, 2008 Awesome performance from Nico Rosberg, if he had been in the McLaren this year, he would be challenging for the World Title.
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spectacularsteve (U9312355) posted Mar 16, 2008 no, hamilton will not "dominate F1 for a decade." Ardigo and Schumacher at La Conca. http://www.karting1.co.uk/news/?p=140
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subbysgirl (U8592609) posted Mar 16, 2008 It was a nervy race, and you could see it all round. Alonso and Raikkonen both looked desperate, at times, but Hamilton drove a flawless race. The BMW has come on in leaps and bounds over the past two years, and is easily going to be competitive, but I still think the Ferrari has the slight edge on the McLaren in terms of speed. The two debutants will be happy to have picked up points, although I suspect disappointed at not having finished the race, whilst Heidfeld and Rosberg can be equally proud of their good, calm performance. The best start for Hamilton, who will be looking to build on his lead going into Malaysia next week.
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icecoolewis (U9275853) posted Mar 16, 2008 I also reckon that the Ferrari looks fast. makes me hopeful of a very competitive season 'cos speed isn't everything. Handling, "drivability" (if thats a word but you know what I mean), fuel consumption, tires and braking performance are also important. Perhaps Ferrari have a better range on a full tank than Mclaren. i reckon that handling and "drivability" got to Mclaren. brakes and tires.... who knows.
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jharris21 (U11200622) posted Mar 17, 2008 domination for mclaren, ferrari will blow it
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swnyrmor (U9920810) posted Mar 25, 2008 I have just been reading through the latest articles - Where have all the regulars gone??? What has happened to 606?
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quicksesh (U6713323) posted Mar 26, 2008 Is it me or does Lewis Hamiltons style of driving not suit the car this year ?
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jamie-jcb (U9681422) posted Mar 26, 2008 it's all about hamilton and raikonen this year, no doubt, bmw qill be third easily.
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RubbishRaceControl (U12266562) posted Jun 12, 2008 "it's all about hamilton and raikonen this year, no doubt, bmw qill be third easily. Comment on this article |
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