GP of China!

[Roo]

So Kim and Alonso are crap because they aren't media darlings? F1 is quickly going the way of "professional" boxing for me.

They are to the commercial boss of F1.

Anyone else notice this?

Lewis Hamilton can win the 2007 Formula 1 championship this weekend in Shanghai when he wins the race on Sunday.

Not if

 

[Danny]

It is at this point I would like to point out that Liuzzi is running 6th.


Mmmmmm.

 

[Solid Lifters]

Alonso's advantage is...

.

Kimi is looking good to win this race. He'll do it if it starts to rain right now.


EDIT: Nope. No such luck, either. It's all a gamble when, and if, it's going to rain.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

I didn't see qualifying, so I've only got the times to base this on, but it looks like Hamilton is really light on fuel. I'll be suprised if the Ferraris and Alonso don't go 4 or 5 laps further than him before stopping. He could just be racing for 4th.

2 laps for Masa, 3 for Alonso, and 4 for Kimi... so none had 5 laps more fuel, and only Kimi had 4.

However you choose to look at it, Hamilton was able to extend his lead on Alonso by over 13 seconds in just ten laps, and after the first set of stops for the leading four cars (all for fuel only), Hamilton continued to extend his lead, and has again posted the fastest laps, both before and after the pit stops. Only Kimi is staying relatively close to Hamilton, at about 5 seconds behind.

At this rate, only misfortune is going to prevent Hamilton from winning the championship today.


EDIT: Looks like Wurtz's gamble to go with medium slicks has paid off with drying track conditions, and posting the new fastest lap time.... but if the rains come...

Just after Masa came in for his seconds stop to switch to mediums, like Wurtz, the rains come back and Wurtz and Masa are in trouble.


Hamilton is DNF after losing grip coming into the pits and is dead in the gravel pit!

 

[Solid Lifters]

Looks like it was starting to rain again on some parts of the track. With worn tires, it doesn't look good for Hamilton. He still needs to wait a few more laps before coming in to see what the weather is going to do. I say he should go back on to intermediates.

 

[Danny]

Whoops, Hammy out.

 

[Solid Lifters]

Well, this is interesting. Looks like he waited too long.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

As I have no horse in this race season, I'm still hoping for Kimi and Alonso to do well and Hamilton to not score any points so that it will open the remote possibility of a 3-way tie for championship points after Brazil.

So far so good.

 

[Pupik]

At least Hamilton saved himself the embarrassment to crashing into the pit wall.

Eh, what's with Kubica?

 

[Solid Lifters]

Now Kubica is out, while in the lead.

Wacky race.

 

[SIGUEL]

YES, YES, YES.............. ALONSO FTW.👍

 

[SagarisGTB]

Did Kubica have to stop again or was he on a 1 stopper? Sucks, he would have probably been 4th a the worst.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

Kubica just gave Alonso yet another huge break by also DNFing while in the lead, giving Alonso the opportunity for more points in the championship.


Brazil is going to be one thrilling race! 👍

 

[Solid Lifters]

First time in about twenty years for a three way race for the Championship.

The season just got better. Down to the last race with three drivers racing for the title.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

First time in about twenty years for a three way race for the Championship.

The season just got better. Down to the last race with three drivers racing for the title.

Wow, a good Formula One race ... and one hell of a good Bathurst race on the same day!

 

[Pupik]

Scuderia Ferrari Lawn Service?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Scuderia Ferrari Lawn Service?

Yeah, they're hoping to clean up in the next round.

 

[Solid Lifters]

What's the rumor about Ron Dennis taking Alonso out of the car for the final race if Hamilton won the race today? Wow.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

Yes, apparently Alonso was making more claims of unfairness as the reason why Hamilton won pole and he only was able to get P4 for the start of the race. Apparently McLaren ownership and management were again not amused.

All I can say is good luck to what ever team ends up picking up Alonso next year.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

Wow... Masa just posted a scortchingly fastest lap of 1:37.560!!! More than a second and a half faster than Alonso, but the gap is far too great.

And it's over:

Kimi
Alonso
Masa

Great finish for Vettel! Can't wait to see what this kid will do next year!

 

[MagpieRacer]

Great result for Toro Rosso.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

All I can say is good luck to what ever team ends up picking up Alonso next year.

Maybe it's a case of Alonso doing it deliberately so that he can get out of the team. If he wins the chmapionship with McLaren, then things might get patched up and there could be a possibility he'll see out the end of the 2008 with a team he hates. But by doing irreprable damage now, a team suddenly find themselves with a double (or possibly triple) world champion available ...

EDIT: And apaprently Alex Wurz is retiring at the end of the season, though I don't know if Sir Frank would be willing to fill the void with Alonso ... he he any more or less agreeable than he used to be a decade ago?

DOUBLE EDIT: It seems JB has saved Honda from the embarrassment of finihsing behind Super Aguri with a fifth-place finish.

 

[niky]

Damn... this'll be the most talked about season in F1 of the past ten years for years to come... whoever wins.

It's good to see F1 getting a little more exciting... now let's get rid of those wings so we can see some real action...

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

As for what would make the most interesting final two races, consider the following scenario:

China Race Results:

• P1 = Kimi
• P6 = Alonso
• P8 = Hamilton

Brazil race Results:

• P1 = Alonso
• P2 = Kimi
• P9 = Hamilton

Unless I'm mistaken, that would result in a three way tie, with each driver having 108 points.

Kimi and Alonso would win the first tie breaker round by having 5 wins each compared to Hamilton with 4.

Kimi and Alonso would continue the tie breaker through round two by having the same amount of second place finishes (4).

Kimi wins the Championship tie breaker in the third round by having 4 third place finishes compared to only three for Alonso...

Kimi Raikkonen wins the 2007 Championship.


Likelihood? Less than 1% chance, but still, it would make for a wild ending to a wild season in F1.

Well the chances of a 3-way points tie are still alive, but also still extremely small...

Brazil Race Results:

• P2 = Kimi
• P4 = Alonso
• P8 = Hamilton

If it did end in a 3-way tie, Kimi would win the championship.

 

[mipuumal]

Phew .

Maybe I should put some money on Hamilton winning the championship... nail on the coffin.

Sad for Kubica, surely would've been on the podium (possibly even win if he was one stopping) without his problem.

Glad to see Vettel redeeming himself, weird how Toro Rosso have been so competitive in the wet.

Also nice to see all the Liuzzites getting their reward , maybe he could be a contender for a Williams seat next year...

Edit: Anyone else catch the "slight" hint Alonso gave in the pressconferece about McLaren "sabotaging" his car in Q3 again...

 

[Muzaffar]

Awww....so much for Hamilton winning, its going to be an amazing race at Interlagos. I would not even mind skipping school to watch the race in the morning!!! Well,well,well, who says it was going to be boring? Well this unpredictable turn of events left the WDC title open for the top 3 to win. Hmmmm, i guess Hamilton's job got cut out for him, its a shame really. But i guess we F1 fans wouldn't mind about it.

As for the race, well i got one thine to say:
Toro Rosso FTW!!!
I can't believe that they finished 4th and 6th! Great job by them. Good job as well for J.B. to finish 5th in a car that is more than a handful. Now both the Super Aguri and the Spyker team really deserve to be, in last place. 👎 As for Renault and the RBR, what on earth happened to them? Renault seems to struggle all weekend considering they were among the best team on the track last year.What a turnaround it is.... The best RBR only manage to finish 8th. Whan the 🤬? They were running with a dry setup and yet the Toro Rosso manage to finish both cars ahead of them? Now i think Red Bull better support Toro Rosso as well.....

 

[<_Spike_>]

Great race by Vettel, deserved a bit of something after Fuji. Well those wishing bad luck on Hamilton, happy? lol. Baffling decision by McLaren to keep him out so long. Should've been brought in after he was over-taken by Kimi seeing as Lewis was racing Alonso, not the Flying Finn. Eh well, good of Whitmarsh to come out and hold his hands up saying "it's our fault, not Lewis'". Either way, makes for one helluva finish in Interlagos, looking forward to it.

Great drive by Jense too. Gonna be interesting though...

Alonso wins = Hamilton must finish 2nd
Kimi wins = Hamilton must finish 3rd+
Massa or anyone else wins = Hamilton must finish 4th+


...come on Massa!

 

[Greycap]

Of course it was McLaren's fault, otherwise it would look like Hamilton made a mistake and that can't happen as he's perfect. I always had an impression that it's the driver's job to keep the car on the road but I guess I've been wrong. Of course he isn't allowed to demand a pit stop for new tyres either.

On topic again, that was a great race, both on the track and what comes to the results! The conditions were difficult but everything counts and the best driver today won. He was fast throughout the race and he mastered the weather, the Iceman is in the old fit again. Props for Massa and Alonso too, a lot of overtaking action. 👍

 

[Redgodzila]

Aww nuts I missed it! Bathurst was on- I didn't even think of turning it over. Wish I had .
On to Brazil! What a great championship

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Aww nuts I missed it! Bathurst was on- I didn't even think of turning it over. Wish I had .
On to Brazil! What a great championship

You didn't miss anything. Channel Ten knocked it back to the 1am timeslot because the Rugby World Cup is also on. However, with Australia out (as well as our trans-Tasman neighbours), I don't see much point in following it anymore.