Monza Rain (Martin Trenkler)

I dont care what the weatherman says, if the weatherman says its raining, you will never hear me complaining… Words that until today you might have heard Lewis Hamilton singing. But today in the rain it went slightly wrong.

I am 100% sure that in a race condition in the rain Lewis Hamilton will be very difficult to beat, but today, one little gamble completely wiped out any chance of a Q3 show for the Brit, It wasnt just Lewis who struggled in the rain.

From the outset, Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa both struggled to find grip and speed, Massa was lucky enough to get the reset into Q3 just scraping in 10th place but the unlucky ones where, Robert Kubica, current world champion Kimi Raikkonen and current championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

Monza was set for a shock and the underdogs where going for it hammer and tong to ensure a shock was on the cards.

Sure enough, as the chequered flag fell we had a record breaker. Sebastian Vettel, the young German in his Toro Rosso stuck his STR3 on pole position becoming the youngest F1 driver ever to get a pole position. Followed closely by McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen who was very fast all session in the MP4-23.

So where did it all go wrong for our man Lewis?

At the end of Q1 the track seemed as though it was drying up and there was certainly a tram line appearing, Lewis and his race engineers took a gamble into Q2 and thought that maybe intermediate tyres would work with the tram line but it turned out that the surface water was too much for the intermediates to clear.

A change was needed so back into the pits car 22 went, a quick stop for wets but he couldnt get back out because of the traffic so he lost more time waiting for the go from the pit wall.

Finally Lewis got back out onto the track but tyre pressure was down, temperature was lost and time was running out, the rain was heavier and that window of opportunity was closing, and fast.

As the clock counted down the rain was getting heavier and confidence was getting lower and lower for Hamilton after a spin at Ascari corner, the opportunity was gone and the time wouldnt ever be made back up. So as the timer ran out in Q2 Lewis was sitting in P15 and that was the end of that.

It was Lewis Hamiltons lowest qualifying position in his career, but should we give up on him yet, I dont think so, and this is why…

Heikki Kovalainen drove a great session all day and stuck his car on the front row of the grid, fuel strategies taken into consideration he could certainly get the jump on the young Toro Rosso driver to be first into the chicane and from there he can control the race and hope that his strategies are working well for him and there are no safety car periods.

So to Mr Hamilton, what are his options?

I think for him to go on a 2 stop strategy he is making things very hard for himself, yes he is in a quicker car but to go on a 2 stop strategy the same as the front runners would be an uphill struggle and leaves everything to be done on the track.

Because Lewis is out of the top 10 he now has all the options at his disposal, he doesnt have to start the race on his closing qualifying fuel load and set up, only the top 10 have to do that.

He could fuel very lightly and run it out on a 3 stop strategy, yes he would have to make 1 more stop but he will be very light and overtaking will be easier and his pit stops will be very short, just a splash and dash pit stop can be done in 5 seconds, the way Lewis runs his tyres down this would be an excellent option for him to consider.

Lewis 2nd option would be to go on a 1 stop strategy, fuel heavily and get the jump in the fields 2nd round of pit stops, this means he would have to take it easy when running on the soft tyres but when on the hards he will be heavy and will have to work very hard and hope that the raw performance of the MP4-23 is enough to help him make the passes he needs.

I think realistically with either the 1 or 3 stop option he can look to getting a points finish and why not even a podium, Lewis loves a challenge and certainly can overtake with the best of them, providing all passes are done legally and the FIA are in a good mood then he will be laughing.

He can forget about Felipe Massa for this race, the best he can hope for is a reliability problem with the F2008 and maybe bringing his GP to an early end, apart from that Massa WILL outscore him in the race and the championship table will have a new leader.

He should just concentrate on damage limitation and remember that Robert Kubica and Kimi Raikkonen are the ones he is racing as they are in the same boat as he is come lights out on Sunday. It will be VERY interesting to see what strategies they try.

As a McLaren fan I want to see Heikki dominate the race from the start, I want to see Lewis going for glory on a 3 stopper and hopefully get a top 5, maybe a podium with some bad luck on other drivers parts.

One thing is for sure, DONT BLINK… You might just miss it, its going to be a VERY interesting race from lights out to chequered flag.

Monza Circuit (Formula1.com)

With the FIA ‘vs.’ McLaren battle firmly up in the air and out of earshot for now why not look forward to the next race, one of the most famous circuits in F1 history, we head off to Monza, in Italy for Round 14.

Its Ferrari home turf but McLaren battle ground, and its fair to say that this is going to be a battle of epic proportions. All guns will be blazing from those trying to cement their place in history for what is currently shaping up to be one of the most intense finishes to any seasons ever, yes… Possibly even closer than 2007.

One thing we can be sure of is that no matter what is going on behind closed doors all drivers in all cars will be fully focussed on the job in hand and will be out to claim those valuable points.

Monza is the last European race of the season, after this we head out to the east of the world map to visit Singapore, Japan and China before our traditional season finale at Interlagos, Brazil. 5 races left and only the finest of margins separate our drivers. The table is as follows:

1. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes) – 76
2. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) – 74
3. Robert Kubica (BMW-Sauber) – 58
4. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) – 57
5. Nick Heidfeld (BMW-Sauber) – 49
6. Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren-Mercedes) – 43

Mathematically speaking any one of the top 6 can take the championship, sure it would take coincidences of unimaginable proportions for some, but it’s certainly possible, and on the other hand, realistically speaking I think it’s only going to be one of 4. Robert Kubica is still in the running and could be up there but something tells me that it’s a 3 horse race and 1 of those horses has forgotten which way he is running.

So down to 2, it’s Massa ‘vs.’ Hamilton… Red ‘vs.’ Silver… The holders ‘vs.’ the challengers… My nerves can’t take the pressure right now so I can’t even begin to imagine which way this one is going to go and whether or not it’s going to be decided on or off track?

Maybe some more clarity in the rules is needed to prevent races being decided by the big wigs with clip boards. After-all, ultimately we want to see these boys race? Let them race!

Monza Vital Stats

• Number of Laps – 53
• Circuit Length – 5.793km
• Race Distance – 306.720km
• Lap Record – 1:21:056 (R Barrichello, Ferrari, 2004)
• Corners – 11

Just checking the weather for the weekend it seems as though showers are a very real possibility and this will ultimately favour McLaren, in particular Lewis Hamilton who as we all know is a lover of wet conditions and this has been proven time and time again. So for sure he will be hoping for a nice dry qualifying session and then a nice wet race.

The Tifosi will be out in the droves to support their drivers and I will lay money that the boo’s will be directed solely at Mr Hamilton. Good luck if you win this one son, I would just stay in your car and keep on driving out of the place. Last year McLaren took the 1 / 2 with Fernando Alonso taking the top step, and Lewis Hamilton taking the second, is another Ferrari upset on the cards? I think it just might be.

Norbert / Ron Discuss Tactics (Sutton Images)

Finally the news that I have been waiting for along with many others I should imagine?

Martin Whitmarsh -

“Following our decision to register our intention to appeal the penalty handed out to Lewis Hamilton by the FIA Stewards at the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix, we hereby confirm that we have now lodged notice of appeal”

GAME ON… So it has now been officially confirmed that McLaren will be appealling against the retrospective drive through penalty that was issued just hours after the end of the race at Spa on Sunday evening.

25 seconds where added to the race time of Lewis Hamilton after the chequered flag, the length of time that a drive through penalty would have taken, as a result of this Lewis was relegated to 3rd in the final standings giving Felipe Massa his 5th win of the season and consequently closing the drivers championship gap down to just 2 points.

Probably exactly what the FIA wanted, looks like they are getting their close finish they desire. This week so far there have been many rumours in the mill that suggest that the FIA are doing 1 of 3 things:

1. Aiding Ferrari to another World Driver / Constructor Championship
2. Hindering McLaren to a Driver / Constructor Championship
3. Doctoring results to ensure that the Championship stays close with no runaway leader like in last years closing races.

Back to the appeal, finally McLaren have strapped on those kahunas and have decided to oppose the FIA in their decision and go for it. A press release by McLaren Mercedes stated the following:

Martin Whitmarsh -

“Following our decision to register our intention to appeal the penalty handed out to Lewis Hamilton by the FIA Stewards at the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix, we hereby confirm that we have now lodged notice of appeal. Lewis describes the incident as follows.”

Lewis Hamilton -

“In the closing stages of the race I was catching Kimi consistently, lap by lap, and with three laps remaining I got close enough to attempt to overtake him on the entry to the last chicane. I managed to get slightly ahead of him in the braking area for the first apex of the chicane. He fought back approaching the second apex – but, in doing so, he left no room for me on the inside line. The only way for me to avoid a collision was therefore to cut inside the second apex.

“I came out of the second apex in front of Kimi and so I momentarily lifted-off on the straight, to ensure that Kimi got back in front. The team also came on the radio and instructed me to allow Kimi to repass, which I had already done. As a result, Kimi crossed the start/finish line ahead of me and 6.7km/h quicker than me.

“After allowing Kimi to completely repass, I crossed from the left side of the track to the right side of the track, passing behind Kimi in the process. I then attacked Kimi on the inside of the first corner, and successfully outbraked him.”

Martin Whitmarsh -

“From the pit wall, we then asked Race Control to confirm that they were comfortable that Lewis had allowed Kimi to repass, and they confirmed twice that they believed that the position had been given back in a manner that was ‘okay’.

“If Race Control had instead expressed any concern regarding Lewis’s actions at that time, we would have instructed Lewis to allow Kimi to repass for a second time.”

So it seems as though the story is set out and by the sounds of things they have the evidence to support it, I am a McLaren fan and I don’t mind saying that I hope this decision gets overturned, but for the sake of the sport more than anything I hope that they see sense that this is a crazy decision and it has certainly caused some upset with the sports true fans who want to see a fair “race”.

So what now?

Well, the FIA need to schedule a meeting with all those involved, I am guessing Martin Whitmarsh, Ron Dennis, Stefano Domenicalli, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen, Charlie Whitmarsh, Bernie Ecclestone and all the race stewards involved in Sundays decision, did I miss anyone?

When the meeting is in session the group will thrash it out for keeps and all evidence will be viewed intensively leaving no stone un-turned, the only down point for McLaren could be that because they have appealed, the FIA now have the power to penalise them further, maybe docking them championship points as well as grid placings for future races.

I guess that all we can do is wait and once again have the fate hanging on the balance of a group of sweaty men in suits calling the shots and destroying our beautiful sport.

The Penalty (Sutton Images)

I am pretty sure that right now whether you are a McLaren fan or a Ferrari fan, you are wondering just what on earth is going on in our beloved sport, todays race in Spa was a classic but what annoys me is that it wont be remebered for being a classic race but instead it will be remembered for the shambles that the FIA have made.

“Oh do you remeber Spa in 2008 when Felipe Massa won after it started to rain with 4 laps to go and Nick Heidfeld took the risk on intermediates and came from 9th place to 2nd”

A phrase that will NEVER be uttered because thats not what happened, once again a race outcome has been decided by rich old men drinking their cups of tea at a board room meeting table, THIS IS NOT RACING! Time and time again the FIA are casting a shadow over the on track racing with their off track meddling.

When angry, people all over the world count to 10 before venting and maybe saying something that they will regret, well the race finished about 10 hours ago and I am still angry and I am going to say what I feel, and I am not going to regret a single thing I say.

For me the phrase that will be uttered will be “Do you remember that race in Spa in 2008 where Lewis Hamilton was robbed by the FIA with their crazy decisions”

The FIA are a JOKE.

They are making our “Sport” (If thats what you can call it) a laughing stock. It is now becoming clear on all fronts that the FIA are favouring Ferrari, either that or they are hating McLaren and ensuring that every little thing they do will be penalised.

All you have to do is look back to when McLaren where fined £50 million quid for their involvment in the spygate scandle last year and count the amount of penalties that have been handed out since then, I dont have the figures but I am willing to bet all the money in the world that McLaren have been on the receiving end of 95% of those penalties.

Lets just look at today for example, the FIA decided to hand Heikki Kovalainen a drive through penalty for an incident which they deemed to be an “avoidable accident”, remember that phrase for later on.

This incident which took place between Heikki Kovalainen and Mark Webber is an incident which happens week after week after week without fail, how many of these occurances resulted in the way in which it did today, I am thinking not many or maybe none even. But because Heikki is in a silver car, well he will get slapped with a penalty.

The decision was made to issue the drive through penalty within 1 lap of the incident, but with Felipe Massa’s pitlane incident in Valencia, we had to wait till after the race. In my opinion it was just as clean cut and was certainly obvious as to what should have happened.

Down to the crunch, the big one, Lewis Hamilton is slapped with a 25 second penalty. The FIA state that Lewis Hamilton cut the corner at the bus stop chicane and by doing that he gained an unfair advantage over rival Kimi Raikkonen.

BUT…

1. Lewis had the edge on the corner and was at the time ahead of Kimi anyway with the inside line available.
2. Kimi gave Lewis no choice other than to take the run off because if not then it would have been an early bath for the pair of them. In my opinion Lewis Hamilton was AVOIDING AN ACCIDENT, see I told you to remember that for later. Lewis and Kimi would have locked wheels and both of them would have been out of the race for sure if Lewis stayed strong through the chicane.
3. Ron Dennis was immediately onto the radio to Charlie Whiting asking had they done enough to give the position back to Kimi and in Charlies opinion, yes they had.
4. When Lewis and Kimi crossed the start / finish line Lewis was going 6km/h slower than Kimi proving that Lewis let up to give Kimi the place back. So Kimi took his place back, no advantage gained.
5. After Lewis took the lead of the race back in the La Source hairpin, Kimi once again led the race not 30 seconds later as both drivers got out of shape and had to avoid a slow Williams car of Kazuki Nakajima.
6. Kimi Raikkonen then proceeded to spin his car into the wall therefore was out of the race so the “unfair advantage” gained through bus stop was COMPLETELY irrelivant for the fact that no one was at a loss due to this.

Are these points alone not enough to be able to say, that the penalty is completely unjustified and the FIA are blatently only giving McLaren this to ensure that Ferrari can still win the drivers and constructors championships.

The FIA with their decisions are now becoming glaringly obvious in their efforts that they are either favouring Ferrari and aiding them with their championship push or they are doing their upmost to hinder the charge of the silver cars.

Now call it what you want, a conspiracy theory, call me biast because I am a McLaren fan, call me or call it whatever you want, but the fact of the matter remains that the FIA are certainly holding a torch for Ferrari and the drivers are no longer racing with a level playing field, this is a “sport” there HAS to be consistency throughout so that it is fair to all.

In a final word I urge you all to remember the race today as a classic race that was won and lost on the track, and please, I urge you not to remember it by what happened after the race behind closed doors.