How on earth...?
October 26th 2007 10:41
Perfect Finnish: Kimi wins it...but how?
Actually, the way words have been flying lately, the question should be: how did everyone else manage not to?
With two races to go, Kimi was 17 points behind Lewis Hamilton, and Alonso was 12, however Lewis had just taken victory at Fuji and looked untouchable.
But, then it happened. It being the unimaginable series of events that led to Lewis having the two worst weekends of his short, but remarkable career, and Kimi running away – surprising even himself – with the title.
Most drivers in F1 refuse to believe in luck, good or bad. Good luck is earned through focus and hard work, while bad luck punishes laziness, arrogance and poor preparation.
But, just how Hamilton, who needed only to score four points in two races, fell short at the death of it all goes beyond luck – something prevented it, and many around the paddock have been weighing in with their own explanations.
Bernie Ecclestone was characteristically blunt with his finger pointing. Aiming his money-grubbed index firmly at McLaren boss, Ron Dennis.
"Ron gave Raikkonen the Championship," the F1 supremo told the Daily Mirror. "If he hadn't called Hamilton in for that silly low fuel and soft tyres stint he could have won the Championship. "
"He made no time on the road and lost 25 seconds making the stop. If he had only lost 15 seconds he would have been fourth,” he said.
Of course whether or not Hamilton’s strategy was a direct order from the top is debatable – and it’s more likely that Lewis himself could be to blame for that.
Pit blunders wrecked his race in China, in what settled at 50 percent driver, 50 percent team.
As for the ambitious three-stopper at Interlagos, Mr Ecclestone’s insight is quite correct.
Lewis did lose time making the extra stop, but a lucid, strategic mind is part of a champion’s arsenal as any follower of Michael Schumacher would observe, and frankly, McLaren and Lewis can only blame themselves for the mishaps in China and Brazil.
Others though, have blamed Ron on a more philosophical level.
Funnnily enough the two men most vocal about McLaren’s policy of driver equity are team bosses themselves, and combined have won every championship since 2000.
Renault chief Flavio Briatore told Antenna 3 TV that McLaren should have ditched the abrasive presence of Alonso for the remaining few races, and given Hamilton a free run to the title.
Ferrari president, Luca Montezemolo also pointed out that McLaren’s biggest hindrance was it’s infighting, and guiding principle of driver equity, which allowed harmonious Maranello to capitalise.
"The difference between us and McLaren is that we're a team and in the last race our drivers helped each other. And in the toughest times we were even more united," said Montezemolo.
But the Italian also added that although the Dennis’ management was fundamentally flawed, the "youth and nervousness" of Hamilton was what secured their downfall.
Four-time champion, Alain Prost echoed these sentiments, as did Fernando Alonso himself, despite being widely perceived as the ultimate instigator of the Woking civil war.
Poor driver management?
"What my team boss stated in China, saying that they weren't racing against Raikkonen but against me, was a declaration of intent. So McLaren did their part in losing the title, but also Ferrari did a better job than the rest,” he said.
At the centre of it all are Ron and Lewis, but predictably, Lewis has been positive in accepting it as fate – and moving on, while Dennis blamed the gearbox, and the misfortune of it glitching up and costing the rookie a mountain of time.
"It's easy to be critical but Lewis was trying to stay out of problems. He was trying to be careful and let people past because he had the pace that was required to win the world championship. The only reason we did not win it was the gearbox problem," rued Dennis.
Well, claiming Lewis was being careful and letting drivers past is a fair stretch of the defensive excuse-making imagination. Hamilton’s blood rushed attempt to regain his position to Alonso sent him several places down the order before his gearbox stutters kicked in.
Of course all of these theories have merit. Yes strategy is important, as is team management, and team harmony – and yes, mechanical failure is a major factor, though no driver should use as an excuse.
So why did Kimi sneak up and take the trophy when Lewis somehow managed to drop it as it was being handed to him.
I guess there is only one explanation that can adequately rationalise what happened.
That is - as once coined by a very great man indeed - that anything can happen in Formula One, and it usually does.
Welcome to F1 Lewis.
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