F1 Rivals Forum » 2007 Grand Prix

Brazil

(7 posts)
  • Started 2 years ago by marc
  • Latest reply from Apoc

  1. marc
    Race Director marc

    The final race of the season is coming up and after China, it's going to be a three way fight for the title. While Hamilton has the best chances on 107 points, Alonso is only 4 behind on 103. With Raikkonen on 100 you've got to say that his chances of winning the championship are slim, having to beat both McLarens by a long way. Still, I bet Kimi is going to go all out and try his damndest.

    Last year, Felipe took Brazil in his Ferrari from Alonso in the Renault. Michael came 4th in the second Ferrari, and the McLarens of Raikkonen and de la Rosa came in 5th and 8th respectively. So it looks like it's a track that suits the Ferrari well, but this years McLaren is a different beast indeed.

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    Posted 2 years ago #

  2. Apoc
    Moderator Apoc

    According to my calculations:

    Lewis - 1st: 117 2nd: 115 3rd: 113 4th: 112
    Alonso - 1st: 112 2nd: 111 3rd: 109 4th: 108
    Raikkonen - 1st: 110 2nd: 108 3rd: 106 4th: 105

    As you can see, its gonna be hard for Hamilton not to take the championship. He has to:

    a: not finish
    b. Alonso has to finish at least 2 positions higher on the podium just to tie.
    c. Raikkonen has to finish first without Hamilton finishing in the top 7.

    So Hamilton's biggest threats are not staying on the track (a.k.a McLaren not listening to Bridgestone).

    If Kimi and Alonso do finish in front of Hamilton, with Alonso taking first place - which imho is the most likely scenario - Hamilton will still be safe because I am sure in the event of a tie it comes down to the driver who has had more first position finishes. Without having any or looking for any figures, I can probably safely say Hamilton has had more wins. So in the event of a tie Hamilton will take the championship.

    Posted 2 years ago #

  3. marc
    Race Director marc

    Actually, I think you'll find that Alonso and Hamilton have each had 4 race wins as of right now, and Kimi has had 5. In the scenario where Alonso wins, and Hamilton comes third, Alonso will take the championship.

    Also, in your calculations, and I'm sure it's a typo, you have Alonso on 112 after a win. He'd be on 113, which is equal to Hamilton coming in 3rd. I think Kimi's chances are slim, but Alonso's are not bad.

    We cannot exclude Massa though. Not that he could win the championship, but it's his home race and I'm sure he's going to be going for a win. Also, last year the track seemed to suit the Ferrari better than the McLaren, so we could very well end up with a Ferrari 1-2. In this scenario, if Alonso had to take 3rd, Hamilton would have to be seventh or lower for a tie situation. And if it's Kimi that takes the win, he'll (Kimi) win the championship anyway.

    Posted 2 years ago #

  4. marc
    Race Director marc

    Formula1.com has a very nice piece on the three contenders for the championship and why they will or won't win:
    Alonso, Hamilton, Raikkonen - who is destined for glory?

    Posted 2 years ago #

  5. marc
    Race Director marc

    And for the third successive race weekend the weather is set to play a role in the outcome of the race and perhaps even the outcome of the Drivers' Championship as downpours are expected in Brazil.

    - F1-Planet

    More wetness. Hmm, will Hamilton hold it together? Or will Alonso's experience in the wet let him take the win? Let's not count Kimi out just yet either: anything can happen in the wet. It gets interesting...

    Posted 2 years ago #

  6. marc
    Race Director marc

    What a race. An over-eager and not experienced enough Hamilton screwed his own championship up. He should've wrapped the title up in China. Instead he walks away without it.

    Nakajima made a great rookie pit-stop. That technician still helped put the tire on before hopping away on his unbroken foot. That's dedication for you.

    And Massa played the team game. That race was his, but he had a role to play in deciding the championship. You could see the disappointment on his face in the interviews.

    Under Formula One racing’s technical regulations fuel temperatures are not allowed to fall more than 10 degrees Celsius below ambient air temperature at any time. According to FIA data, Williams and BMW Sauber exceeded this range during the race, but after lengthy deliberations stewards chose not to impose sanctions.

    However, McLaren are expected to appeal the stewards' decision, which if overturned could have serious implications for the 2007 drivers' championship.

    - Formula1.com

    Calling all fat ladies, we need someone to sing please.

    Posted 2 years ago #

  7. Apoc
    Moderator Apoc

    Yes, what a disappointing race. Kimi can thank Massa for his great get away as Massa impeded Hamilton off the line by swerving to the left, blocking Hamilton and letting Kimi get past. Team orders ftw. Yes it was legal and the rest but this Formula 1 racing, not fucking chess. Shit like that should not be allowed.

    Anyway, the FIA seems to be a force of their own, first they break protocol by only fining Honda, McLaren and Super Aguri instead of imposing grid penalties for the drivers, but they also decide that now they are not going to sanction two teams who have violated the rules. What has F1 come to.

    Don't get my wrong, I by no means justify Kimi being dethroned, but I still think the offending teams should be penalised without rearranging the championship.

    I too was saddened by Massa not taking the win at his home race, a win he so very much deserved, but that's F1 and team orders for you.

    Obvious flaws aside there was some great racing. Hamilton made a rookie mistake that alone would not have cost him the championship, but a faulty gearbox getting stuck in neutral for a while dropped him to 18th in the race, costing him a good 40 seconds, pretty much destroyed Hamilton's rookie championship hopes. McLaren then tried to rescue the rookie by changing him to a 3 stop strategy, which did not work out too well. Hamilton made a good drive to make up positions and eventually ended the race in 7th place, unable to catch the BMW's in front of him. Maybe because the BMW's had a advantage due to fuel irregularities, maybe because the McLaren was just not fast enough. Brilliant drive from Kubica, even if he did have advantage. Not a bad outing for Nakajima's début race finishing in 10th, even if he did ride over his pit crew.

    All that said, well done to Kimi. He has been a brilliant driver this year and if it were not for Ferrari's unreliability earlier in the year I am sure he would have easily taken the title a race or 2 back. You also have to admit, brilliant year from the rookie Hamilton. Yes, he had a good car, but he was still able to out drive his team mate and lead the championship until the last race. Not something that happens to a driver in their rookie year. Lets hope the kid has what it takes to do the same and better next year.

    Posted 2 years ago #

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