Tuesday, October 10, 2007 A lap too long By Steve Slater Contributor
Lewis Hamilton was, typically, the first to take the blame for sliding his McLaren into the gravel trap on the 31st lap of the Grand Prix of China, but it really wasn’t his fault.
In a race of rapidly changing track conditions, the McLaren team were already ruing their late decision to bring him in for new tyres, as Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari caught and past the Briton to take the race lead.
“On hindsight we left him out a lap too long. His tyres were very worn. It was our decision”, said McLaren Chief Executive Martin Whitmarsh, who spoke to media.
I suspect because Ron Dennis couldn’t be sure of controlling his emotions. “We were getting weather information all the time. We didn’t want to come in and get on the wrong tyres.”
Even at that point, Hamilton’s title hopes were still alive. He was still ahead of his team-mate Alonso, but Lewis’s rear tyres had worn right though the treads and areas of the tyre carcass were flailing as he approached the tight bend in the pitlane. Hamilton then lost control of the car and slid into the gravel, beaching his McLaren. To retire from likely victory in any race is heartbreaking, but to lose a race and maybe the world title by slithering off the road into the pits is cruel beyond words.
Hamilton’s conduct in defeat was exemplary. Even before he’d returned to the pits to shake hands and commiserate with every one of his pits crew, he’d refused to blame his team, despite being asked who was responsible for the mistake.
“I can still do it, don’t worry” he told reporters. “We were having a great race, and we didn’t know whether it was going to rain again or not. The tyres were getting worse and when I came into the pits I just lost the rear. I couldn’t do anything about it. When I got out of the car I was just gutted because I hadn’t made a mistake all year, and to do it coming into the pits... Well, it’s not something I normally do. It’s unfortunate, but there is still one more race to go.”
Lewis’s behaviour made a marked contrast to his team-mate Alonso, who on the Saturday had exhibited such a tantrum after qualifying behind Hamilton, he’d wrecked his crash helmet by throwing it across the pit garage, then slammed doors so violently in McLaren’s hospitality area, that carpenters had to be called to repair the damage!
The Spaniard was a little more sanguine after finishing second in Sunday’s race, closing the points gap to his championship rival from twelve to just four. After crashing out in Japan a week earlier, Alonso had said that he needed a miracle to retain his title. He couldn’t resist a smile when he was asked whether the divine intervention had occurred.
“It was maybe not a miracle, but something similar” Alonso said. “It will still be very difficult for the championship. I know that it will not be easy to take the four points off Lewis. I still need something really dramatic if I want to win. With a normal race it will be impossible.”
If Alonso were to win the Brazilian Grand Prix in two weeks time and Hamilton were to finish third, the Spaniard would claim his third successive title, snatching it from Hamilton in the last race of the season. However there is another scenario, which might give McLaren boss Ron Dennis two weeks of nightmares.
Kimi Raikkonen’s victory in China, a landmark 200th Grand Prix win for Ferrari, moves the Finn to within seven points of Hamilton in the title chase and just three behind Alonso. If the Finn heads a 1-2 for Ferrari in Brazil, with Alonso third and Hamilton finishing sixth or lower, then Raikkonen could claim the drivers title!
It has a historic precedent. In 1981, tough Aussie Alan Jones was the defending World Champion and relations with his Williams team-mate Carlos Reuteman were as strained as those between Hamilton and Alonso. The pair barely spoke after Jones accused Reuteman of cheating on team orders. The two driver’s feud lost them both the world title. As they split race wins and championship points between them, Brabham driver Nelson Piquet snatched the title by a single point.
Could Raikkonen claim the title in a similar manner at the final race of the season in Brazil on Oct. 22? I’m certainly not betting against it!
(Steve Slater is the expert half of the popular F1 commentary duo on Star Sports. Slater will be contributing articles on F1 races for Sun.Star from time to time)
