Category: Formula One

Felipe Massa’s Formula One career doesn’t come to an end for another two weeks at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

However, after his address to an adoring public at the Brazilian Grand Prix following a typically gritty seventh place, it feels only right that a reflection on his career is made now.

Massa has said since his first announcement of retirement 12 months ago that while he did not win a World Drivers’ Championship, he would not trade the respect given to him by almost every member of the Formula One paddock.

Rarely has an entire sport taken one of its protagonists to heart in the manner that F1 has with Massa.

He first appeared on the Formula One scene as a fresh-faced 20-year-old with Sauber in 2002, regarded as one of Brazil new prospects. After a strong 2002 season he was drafted into test for Ferrari in 2003, returning to Sauber for 2004 and 2005.

His strength against teammate Jacques Villeneuve earned him a seat at the top table in Formula One as Ferrari replaced Rubens Barrichello with Massa for 2006, where he took his first win at the Turkish Grand Prix before winning at home for the first time.

In 2007 he was a successful rear gunner for Kimi Raikkonen’s victorious World Championship quest against the might of McLaren, Lewis Hamilton and future adversary Fernando Alonso, before roles at Ferrari were reversed the following year.

Few will forget the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix. Few will forget the celebrations in the crowd as Felipe Massa crossed the line for victory, seemingly on his way to a maiden World Championship.

Few will forget the manner in which Hamilton stole it from him with a last gasp pass on Timo Glock to move back into fifth place.

Few will forget the emotion, dignity and passion shown on that podium as Massa realised that it was not to be. It was the other side of sport, as Hamilton celebrated with his entourage and mechanics in the garages below.

That was far from the last time the 36-year-old showed grit in adversity, as in 2009 the Ferrari was uncompetitive heading into what was to become a sombre Hungarian Grand Prix when Massa was struck by a spring from Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn and knocked unconscious.

A fractured skull was to rule him out for the rest of the season, a small price given the initial fears for his life.

He was never to win a race again.

Alonso joined Ferrari for 2010 and became top dog, as Masa operated as a reliable back-up. The controversial German Grand Prix saw shades of the old Felipe, as he led for much of the race before a now-infamous team order to allow Alonso through to victory, with many feeling he had been cheated.

A mixed 2011 was marked largely by an ongoing spat with Hamilton, the collided on several occasions, while an uncompetitive Ferrari in 2012 seemed to affect him more than Alonso.

A podium appearance at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix was as good as it got, before he was jettisoned by Ferrari in favour of Raikkonen. He resurfaced for 2014 at Williams.

At Williams, he became team leader once again and his consistency during a successful first two years peaked with a pole position at the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix, with the team finishing third and fourth in the Constructors’ Championships.

2016 and 2017 have been more disappointing for Williams. Force India relegated them to fifth in 2016, while they are battling with Renault and Toro Rosso for a top five Constructors finish this time around.

Should he finish outside the top three in Abu Dhabi, In 14 seasons Massa has taken nine victories, 16 pole positions and 41 podiums.

Felipe will leave the sport not as a champion, not as a man known for a ruthless streak and not as a driver with a fearsome reputation.

He will leave as driver known for facing down adversity and for keeping his dignity when others with more glittering careers sometimes failed to.

Massa leaves Formula One as a driver as well-liked as much as he is well respected by peers and fans alike.

In Formula One, that does not often happen.

Obrigado and Ciao, Felipe.

Mika Häkkinen on a world wide mission, to make our roads a safer place; that sounds great; its a valued initiative that in many parts of the world traffic and road skills may not be to scratch.

This week Mika, is in one of the largest countries in the world in terms of population: India.

One of the leading causes of road deaths is alcohol. thats why Johnnie Walker has over the last 10 years promoted responsible drinking, #JOINTHEPACT is Johnnie Walker’s global initiative for people to make their commitment to NEVER DRINK & DRIVE.

Since the 2007 launch of the campaign, more than 4.8 million pledges have been collected in over 40 countries worldwide. The campaign’s goal is to collect 5 million commitments by 2018.

Our man in India Kunal Shah, was at a facebook live season with mika – here is the video below

https://www.facebook.com/firstpostin/videos/1620801137979535/

Normally when a Formula One World Championship is decided, it answers all the questions you had throughout the season. Who’s the quickest? Who’s in the best form? Which team is the best?

The Mexican Grand Prix was far more than F1 tying up loose ends as Lewis Hamilton joined an elite list of just four other drivers in winning the World Championship four times.

Like Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost and 2017 rival Sebastian Vettel have all had their fair share of fortune, with all men in that list taking the title in consecutive years as their teams enjoyed spells of domination.

But statistics and numbers is far from the point of this article.

If Max Verstappen’s confidence had been hit after THAT penalty in the USA, he certainly didn’t show it at the first corner.

The Dutchman offered up more bold overtaking as hung it out around the outside of Vettel’s Ferrari, as the German and Hamilton collided at the exit of turn three to leave the champion-elect with a rear right puncture.

From there on, he simply drove away as Valtteri Bottas simply could not keep

up in his Mercedes, while he himself gapped Kimi Raikkonen easily.

Verstappen and teammate Daniel Ricciardo have shown over the past month the potential that Red Bull has going forward, with the team now able to challenge and beat the two heavyweights at the front after falling back earlier in the season.

However, it won’t be all plain sailing for Dietrich Mateschitz and company. The team will lose their Renault engines after 2018 as the French company have told the team that they do not want to continue their F1 partnership, while they will supply McLaren.

Talking of whom, it was another encouraging weekend for the sleeping giants at Woking.

Fernando Alonso set the quickest middle sector of anyone in the first qualifying session. And, as ever, he made everyone knew how well his lap had gone.

There’s been more punch from the Spaniard recently and his rude move on the Ferrari-powered Haas of Romain Grosjean midway through the race told everyone the fire remained, while his attempts at holding off Hamilton

towards the end entertained and enthralled.

It is estimated that the Renault Power-Unit is about a second faster than the Honda unit. If that rings true, he would have been very close to the front of the grid and looking at podium in Mexico.

Should McLaren have a chassis as good as this year’s, the good times might finally start returning to one of F1’s most popular teams.

And what of Ferrari? Had Vettel not had an Asia from hell during which he retired twice and lost a probable 45 points, this title fight would still be well and truly on.

It’s certainly not goodbye from Maranello as far as front running is concerned and with the driver hierarchy that appears to be in effect there, you wouldn’t bet against Vettel putting up another stern challenge in 2018.

Mercedes will once again be in the conversion as they bid to extend their dominance to a fifth consecutive season.

Hamilton claimed straight after the race that there is more titles left in him, so the motivation remains.

If all these factors play out, 2018 could be a real treat.