Lewis Wins In Dramatic Montreal GP
It must have been a relatively easy drive for Lewis Hamilton who started on pole, because throughout most part of the race, all he needed to do was to keep his tyres warm while cruising behind the safety car. The safety car, a super gorgeous Mercedes Benz CLK 63 AMG, was deployed four times (!!). Just as the front runners were beginning to pull away from the pack, and some others trying to get closer and challenge the driver in front, something happened on track and the safety car had to come out. Of course, no overtaking is allowed when the safety car’s out on track. Lap after lap of no-overtaking, kinda spoiled the momentum for some of the drivers.
(Source)
The 22-year old sensational rookie had never actually raced in the Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit before, so it was all the sweeter to have dominated in both the qualifying as well as the race. Having been on the podium for every single race since his debut into F1, all he needed was a first win and I can’t say I didn’t expect it to come this soon. That guy seems to be writing history with each and every passing race!
Actually, I guess even driving behind the safety car was difficult, because one of the drivers actually went into the barriers while the safety car was leading the procession. I love the spin involving Nico Rosberg and Jarno Trulli - both spun at Turn 1 without even coming into contact with each other (it was very entertaining to watch, really). That part of the track also seemed to jinx Alonso, who lost track positions as a result of several spins. And speaking of Alonso losing track positions, Takuma Sato springs to my mind.
(Source)
The Japanese driver pulled off a brilliant move to outbrake Alonso in the closing stages of the race. I can’t help but believe that Alonso was struggling with his car’s balance and grip all day long. The Ferraris took a back seat again. Having been outclassed by the McLarens in the Monaco GP previously, Ferrari’s nightmare continued as Massa was black-flagged together with Fisichella for ignoring the pitlane red light.
Kubica’s crash was absolutely crazy. The first impact against the wall took away most of his wheels and shattered the car to bits, leaving behind the sturdy cockpit frame that went on to slide (at extremely high-speed, if I may add) into the wall on the other side of the track, where it landed on its side. I’m sure Kubica’s HANS device (Head and Neck Support) had played a major role in keeping him alive, because the slow-motion TV replay showed that his helmet rocked violently in the cockpit. The first thing that came to my mind was his condition - I was hoping to see some movements in the cockpit because that would be the most welcoming sight after such a horrific crash. Nevertheless, he was reported to be in stable condition, albeit with a broken leg. I hope he’ll recover in no time.
It was interesting to note that the track marshalls used new Honda CRVs when they attended to Kubica immediately after the crash.
(Source)
Another interesting observation was how much of ‘marbles’ there was on track - practically all over. Heidfeld lamented about it during the post-race interviews. ‘Marbles’ are a combination of bits of soft-compound tyres and dust, I learnt. It makes the track surface more slippery. Many drivers were affected by that and apparently, Montreal is pretty (in)famous for that due to its high track temperatures. I don’t know much - so Google it up for more info.
All in all it’s obvious that McLaren Mercedes are on a roll now, especially with Lewis Hamilton on board. Alonso must be struggling to come to terms with that, and he’d be lying if he still says his biggest threat is a Ferrari driver. BMW, in particular Nick Heidfeld, is arguably the “best of the rest”. Meanwhile, Jean Todt is definitely not a very happy man (so are the Tifosi)…
Sidenote: Before the start of the F1 race, I was watching the FO final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Like Lewis Hamilton, Nadal (who’s 21 years old) too wrote history as he became the second man in 93 years to win three successive Roland Garros titles.
Now I feel old. And under-achieved. Very!
Related Entries:
11 Jun 2007 narrowband
Wow! What a well-written recap of the race, I must say.
Yeah, I agree with you that the spin between Rosberg and Trulli was hilarious! Before they showed the spin from another angle, I really thought they collided or touched or something. LOL!
I forgotten to add this in my post. Remember the pit stop by was it Anthony Davidson (if not him, then the team with the first pit garage from the pitlane entrance)? Memalukan! The car went in, stopped for a while (how much time wasted!) and then only the crew came out, blur, and started serving the car. If it was from McLaren or Ferrari, I would seriously laugh my head off.
It was lucky that Kubica got off with only a broken leg. And they took so long to get him outta the car. I was worried he might have fainted or even died in there. It’s just so horrible!
On another note, it is indeed boring to be stuck behind the safety car when you’re first and have one of the fastest car on track. ;)
what a crazy race. well worth staying up for and getting all tired and sleepy during work ;)
Lewis Wins In Dramatic Montreal GP…
…
he is quite good eh? compared to the rookie who went on the scene a few years ago called alexander yoong… nothing compares.
And I still haven’t seen even one race of Hamilton’s! Really must sit down and watch the next race, just to get a feel of his driving style. Anyone other than Alonso leading (and winning!) would be just perfect. Hehehe.
Nice review. I don’t even have to read F1 news from F1 sites.
Let’s hope Hamilton can clinch his 2nd GP win this weekend. Wohoo!
DD - I think the unscheduled pitstop was due to a collision with a groundhog. I read about a car being damaged, but I’m not sure if it was Davidson’s.
News reports said Kubica was able to tell jokes, and that he’d only sprained his leg. Whatever it is, I’m really happy for him.
cccp - I enjoyed it very much too :)
Zewt - Hehe, incomparable, incomparable indeed.
Rinnah - The sport’s at an all-time high, thanks to Lewis. I think he’s healthy for the sport. He makes things interesting.
Che-cheh - Really? At least watch the highlights la.. ;p Actually, I won’t be surprised to see Hamilton conquering Indianapolis as well…
Only a real man like Kubica smashes himself at the wall ….. just to prove that he’s a man. ;) Now, ppl like him makes the sport interesting >:)
That car’s a darlingggggggg
Hi-point - Sato overtaking Alonso. A great move which he did to another driver the lap before that. I thought he would struggle behind Alonso but i was wrong.
Lo-point - The crash. Like you said about the helmet moving violently, i assumed he was dead. Luckily he escaped with a sprained ankle. Yeah the HANS did it’s job. Before he crashed, he hit a stationary car on the far left before hitting the wall and flying to the right of the screen. Any idea whose car was stalled when Kubica hit him ?
how come never talk about kimi one? how come he from second position become so back one? ehehe..i didn’t watch expect ppl to tell me. “)
Khek - I think only a fool would do that! :D Anyway I’m glad he escaped serious injuries.
Alicia - Yes it is ;D
Sat - Ya Sato will be remembered for that. A moment of glory, haha. But I doubt that that feat can be repeated (on Alonso).
No idea about the stationary car… Didn’t see any. Was there one? Heh…
Faylin - That’s because there’s nothing to talk about. It was a rather uneventful race, as far as Kimi’s concerned. Kimi, second position? Maybe at some point during the pitstop window Kimi was second, but not for long.
It was a great race. An amazing win for Lewis.