Go Lewis, Go!
Friday, October 19, 2007.
By Karl Williams
The streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil, are known for their yearly Carnival festivities in February. The party started for Lewis Hamilton eight months ago in Australia, when he performed an audacious manoeuvre for a rookie; going around the outside, catching Fernando Alonso so off guard that he taught he’d been mugged!
Lewis has continued with a record breaking nine consecutive podium finishes. He came fourth at Silverstone, excellent for a rookie but not for our Lewis!
It was the first chink in his armour! Then we had the much understated shenanigans in Hungary that underpinned that spy row with Ferrari.
Not since Freddie Flintoff and his Peccadillo moment with the England Cricket Team or the FIFA World Cup has the nation been asked to rise from their beds, like snails on hot coals to watch sport in the wee hours of the day.
The Chinese monsoon battered Lewis’ hope of wrapping up the championship two weeks ago in Shanghai.
This weekend, the boy wonder from the sleepy village of Tewin in Hertfordshire, needs the Gods of Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Spirit of his idol, the late great Ayrton Senna de Silva, to watch over him!
At the start of the season Lewis said: “I didn’t expect to be on the podium in my first two races.” To date, he’s been the most consistent driver bar Alonso – his bitter ‘team mate’ and closest rival. While I’m not a betting man, all perceived wisdom in the pit lane suggest that on form alone, you’d be mad to gamble against Lewis winning the title.
The McLaren team have been squabbling and Shanghai has created a menage-a-trois for this Brazilian finale; from the red corner we’re joined by Ferrari’s very able iceman Kimi Raikkonen. He’s never had a better chance than this one and so the story goes the man who wins the opening race, takes the last!
If there was ever a man for the cool of the moment, it’s Kimi! Too many years the bridesmaid to the ‘Cyclone from Cologne’ that is Michael Schumacher when he was with McLaren, it would give Kimi great pleasure to blow away the cobwebs and put a smile back on the faces’ of Ferrari’s army of fans – the Tofosi.
This weekend,however, he’s seen as an unwanted guest, at least by Fernando! If Kimi wins, a good finish would give the title to Lewis!
Lewis Hamilton has never driven around InterLagos. Is he worried? Hell no! As always, while others are out partying, Lewis shuts the door and does his homework by studying the racetracks he’s never set eyes on via his Sony Playstation. Let it not be said that young men and video games are not meant to be! So he should be more than prepared for this race, his biggest dream of all.
Now I’ve been burning the midnight oil and here is a little calculation I made earlier. Pay attention!
In order for Lewis to win the Championship with authority, he has to win the race or come home second. If however Alonso wins, Lewis needs to come second. Lewis must come at least fourth if Fernando comes 2nd. While 3rd, 4th or 5th for Alonso would need Lewis to finish 6th, 7th or 8th.
Then there’s Kimi! If he wins for the Scuderia, then as long as Alonso comes third or below, Lewis need only come fifth. Are you still there?
The worst-case scenario is a dead heat on the points! A win for Fernando and a third place for Lewis give the title to Fernando, as he would’ve won five races while Lewis would only have won four!
So, my friend, it’s a numbers game and we’ve got three very, very focused and determined young men who are hell bent on winning.
This is a stellar weekend of sport; there’s England trying to retain the Rugby World Cup and Jason Robinson taking his last bow for his country. And there is Lewis Hamilton, our boy-wonder going for his first crown. Where will you be heading come Monday morning!
Have your nails filled and your mummy’s thimbles at the ready or mask-up those finger nails this weekend!
I’ve been reading the book on Lewis Hamilton by Brain Benton called “A Dream Comes True”. This is the first book written about a Black British Racing driver, by the Black publishers, Pennant Books.
The first Black F1 Drivers Champion, very poignant year 2007! Long may it continue!
Karl Williams is a London-based freelance journalist and motoring correspondent for The New Black Magazine.
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