Friday, 23 July 2010

Back to British Best

Formula 1; Forever dominated by Michael Schumacher before his first retirement back in 2006 where he won 5 championships on the bounce from 2000-2004; is now home of two proud Englishman doing their country proud in a working team... Something that just recently couldn't have been said for another English team.

As great a driver Michael Schumacher was, the sport somewhat died under his reign at the top of the sport. But then his retirement came in 2006 and we saw the sport take alight when Michael Schumacher's team mate Felipe Massa shone in his first season along side the seven-time world champion. But it wasn't Felipe Massa that took Michael off his throne. It was Fernando Alonso. His composure that he brought to the sport in 2005 to de-throne Michael Schumacher from what seemed to be a never-ending reign was the kick in the teeth other up and coming drivers needed to get that confidence that they too can now win the Formula 1 championship.

Since Michael's last championship win in 2004 we have had a new winner each year, except for Fernando Alonso's double in 2005 and 2006. The finales to each season keeps getting better and better. There's no holding back with teams, all the drivers are pushing their cars to the best of their abilities and fighting every corner like a savage beast chasing its prey, taking the perfect line and ready to pounce on any driver getting in their way to the top.

What's great for British fans though is the current Mclaren team of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. Both very much at different ends of their careers: Jenson Button a respected driver around the Formula 1 circuit and Lewis Hamilton a feared driver among the circuit making his presence a dominant one each coming year. The past two years we've seen both of them pick up the glorious drivers championship, reminiscing past British winners such as Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell. It was 2008 when Lewis Hamilton proved his credentials with winning the drivers championship, and like any Englishman, he kept us on our toes! In what has strongly been debated as the most exhilarating finish to a formula season we say Lewis Hamilton win his championship on the very last turn in the Brazilian grand prix. Jenson Buttons championship win in 2009 was somewhat a fairytale considering months before the season had started he was without a team and then winning 6 of the first 7 races in the calender almost guaranteed him the drivers championship in what was seen more as a controlled drive by an experienced man on the circuit finally getting his just rewards for his efforts in formula 1.

Now in the same team together they sit firmly at the top of the leader board halfway through the season. Unlike the Red Bulls who are spitting their dummies out in every race we have seen a great partnership and rivalry build between two great British drivers. In the race we saw Vettel and Webber battle it out too hard enforcing a bust up between the two we saw almost the same happen with Jenson and Lewis but proving they have respect for each other they put on a great show battling it out as hard as any other competitor, within an inch of touching rubber.

It's something we as Brits aren't accustom to see of late: a team of Brits working well together and being on top of the world. Its refreshing for the sport as well though as the team doesn't have a favourite, just two drivers that are able to drive at the best of their ability to battle for the championship and its working a treat at the moment both of them looking pretty at the top of the leader board ahead of what seems to be a field of unhappy families. Red Bull and the strongly denied (but blatantly obvious) rivalry between Vettel and Webber; Mercedes and Michael Schumacher back to his schemey ways of pushing to the head of the queue on his team-mate and Ferrari with two drivers that have no respect for each other as team-mates and constantly under-performing on race days.


The sun seems to be shining brightly over the Mclaren garage then whilst in contrast a storm is brewing in teams following and lets hope the storm blows away and lets hope the lads can get to the end of that rainbow in Dubai on the 14Th November... You never with the English weather.

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