Motorsport on Monday: 24/11/14
Lewis's crown tops a great year of motorsport for Britain
Smiles all round at Mercedes!
But the 'duel in the desert' as it was termed was actually a bit of anti-climax - especially after quali on Saturday teed things up nicely, Rosberg laying down a stunner of a lap and Lewis seemingly feeling the pressure trailing by three tenths.
We'd had our Senna-Prost moment earlier in the season at Spa. Contact from then on in was to be (in your best Toto-style Terminator voice, please), "Totally unacceptable." If anyone was in any doubt as to how close Hamilton and Rosberg might come in Abu Dhabi, Lewis shut speculation down on Thursday with a curt, emphatic response - much to the amusement of some of the other drivers, as well as Nico's advice for Lewis to "keep it clean." Pot. Kettle. Black.
Hamilton the fourth Brit to win two F1 titles
As it turned out, the victory and therefore the championship was effectively sealed 60 metres into the race. From the cleaner, warmer side of the grid Lewis made an optimal start - optimal being bloody great. Clutch bite and wheelspin perfectly managed.
Maybe the pressure got to Rosberg or maybe track conditions did contribute to a lack of traction, either way the German's poor start was an indicator to a fairly torrid race.
Not that I think it'd have made much difference, but from a fan's point of view it smarts that the two couldn't have fought it out, flat out to the end. As an indicator of pace, in the early stages both were maxing the possible fuel usage.
No doubt stats fans spotted Rosberg moved his brake bias/balance to +62 (front), a sign of potential ERS unit problems on the rear axle confirmed by a stinker of a lock-up into the heavy decel for T17.
A great battle to the very last race
Things got worse from there, with the ERS packing up leaving him around 160hp down. But even when his team told him to box, Rosberg, like a true professional, asked to continue to the end despite having nothing to gain. That gained him a lot of respect, as did his conduct after the race.
As magnanimous and gracious in defeat as Hamilton was in victory, the season-long jibes and frosty atmosphere melted into an ephemeral flow of emotion as both drivers appeared to put this year behind them and reminisce of past, happier times as teammates.
Lewis can sometimes be a conundrum, as I've tried to analyse previously this year. However, his thanks and talk of belief somehow seemed apt and genuine last weekend just like his praise for Rosberg.
That the latter actually came to the room of post-race awkwardness to congratulate the former was a sincere and authentic gesture with no hint of politicking for the team or a personal agenda for next year.
Alex Lynn another Brit champion in Abu Dhabi...
With budgets as big as a small country's GDP and the most unlikely looking of puppeteers pulling the strings, sometimes the human aspect of the sport gets overlooked. Money talks, but not as loud as the fans and the spirit of motor racing, it seems.
F1 needs Bernie because, now upgraded from Panto-level to Hollywood-grade villain thanks to the latest wealth redistribution storyline, his interfering and scheming keeps people talking.
But not young people, hey Bernie, and definitely not on social media? Whatever, his antics and pseudo-crazy man comments therefore keep F1 in the public consciousness. It's probably one of the best, cheapest marketing strategies ever, which is why Bernie is where he is and F1 is what it is.
It's only a part of that, though. What made the sport for me this year is the level of personal interest - a contest between two drivers with equal machinery at their disposal.
... and let's not forget Jolyon Palmer either!
Hamilton emerged victorious, Rosberg emerged with a newfound band of supporters for his diplomacy, and thankfully nobody had to listen to Nelson Piquet letching over Nicole Scherzinger.
Lewis's second world title crowned a bumper year for Britain in motorsport, with Alex Lynn (yet another young Red Bull-contracted driver) taking GP3 honours and Jolyon Palmer securing GP2 by a convincing margin as far back as Sochi.
Outside of the single-seater triple, last weekend (Rally GB sort of got in the way...) Anthony Davidson righted some wrongs from Le Mans this year, locking out the World Endurance Championship with one race still left to run.
Let's hope Sports Personality of the Year acknowledges it.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Are the BE special double point staying next year?
This whole F1 circus is so artificial and manipulated it is like watching "I'm an F1 driver.. Get me outta here!"
You can pull him apart as a person and take snide jibes at his personal life and the sport all you want #BOREOFF
He is a double F1 world champion and he's earned it, show him some respect.
Well done to Jolyon Palmer, Alex Lynn and Anthony Davidson too, a truly great year! Lets celebrate all these guys achievements with pride.
You can pull him apart as a person and take snide jibes at his personal life and the sport all you want #BOREOFF
He is a double F1 world champion and he's earned it, show him some respect.
Well done to Jolyon Palmer, Alex Lynn and Anthony Davidson too, a truly great year! Lets celebrate all these guys achievements with pride.
Who cares about his personality? Sebastian Vettel showed that arrogance and lack of humility when he was winning in F1 and this has been raised to another level by how much Ferrari are paying him..
This whole F1 season has been a 2 horse race from the start as unless you were driving a Mercedes then you were slower.
Would you then call Nico Rosberg a F1 second coming or just lucky to be in the right car for that year?
Many other side stories to make it exciting.
Jenson Button being, despite his treatment by McLaren, showing his character and strength right throughout the season.
Seeing Frank Williams smiling after what seems like a life time. Great to see Williams back at the front.
Vettel and his Aussie team mate getting revenge for Mark Webber, though not directly, it was good to see Vettel struggling to adapt or not to the new handling.
Being able to hear the crowd during a race.
Listening to Pat Symmonds and Paddy Lowe et al responding like engineers to the questions posed during the season.
Hamilton actually being a person and finally winning a well deserved title.
Seeing Bernie finally lose it.
Next season should be good too.
Who cares about his personality? Sebastian Vettel showed that arrogance and lack of humility when he was winning in F1 and this has been raised to another level by how much Ferrari are paying him..
This whole F1 season has been a 2 horse race from the start as unless you were driving a Mercedes then you were slower.
Would you then call Nico Rosberg a F1 second coming or just lucky to be in the right car for that year?
I respect all the drivers enough to know that they are the best at what they do.
F1 will always have fast cars and those chasing, but I also know that the cream rises to the top, you can see this in almost every race. No matter what car you put a real racer's like Alonso or Hamilton in they will always get the best from it and push it to the limits. That's where the enjoyment and respect I have for these guys comes from.
If you don't like that then don't spend all year watching it then b
h like a girl about it. 
You can pull him apart as a person and take snide jibes at his personal life and the sport all you want #BOREOFF
He is a double F1 world champion and he's earned it, show him some respect.
Well done to Jolyon Palmer, Alex Lynn and Anthony Davidson too, a truly great year! Lets celebrate all these guys achievements with pride.
While F1 always touts itself as the pinnacle of Motorsport, you have to ask yourself is this as good as it gets? The artificial limitations, boost buttons and designed to degrade tyres to spice things up has meant that it has lost its appeal.
I would draw similarities with TopGear where the faked accidents and staged incidents have now become a bit of a farce and Clarkson and Bernie seem to be getting more detached from real life.
Compare that to the real drama that unfolded at this years LeMans 24 hour race where the technology and the drivers seemed to be going forward into something better.
It's been a great season and bldy well done to Lewis. He had to work really hard for it this year but he showed he was the man. Congrats to all the other British champions as well. Everyone of them had to work hard for it and we should congratulate them all.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff