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The French Grand Prix produced a Ferrari 1-2, but not in the order we expected. Until a broken exhaust slowed him, Kimi Raikkonen was comfortably in command, but just after half-distance he found himself down on power, and was obliged to let Felipe Massa through.
“Disappointing, of course,” said Raikkonen. “I had a good car all weekend, took pole, led easily…but these things happen sometimes, and at least I had enough gap over the others to finish second. There was quite a lot of damage to the car, so it’s quite lucky we finished – and eight points is good…”
Eight points were particularly good on a day when Lewis Hamilton didn’t score any. The McLaren team leader started well back, thanks to his 10-place penalty from Montreal, but after making some progress in the early laps incurred a drive through penalty (for missing the apex of a corner, and, in the estimation of the FIA stewards – one of them a Mr Despotopoulos – gaining an advantage from it, although not a place). That effectively ruled Hamilton out for the afternoon, and he finished a point-less 10th.
The happiest soul at Magny-Cours was, of course, Massa, who took his third win of the season, and in so doing became the first Brazilian to lead the World Championship since Ayrton Senna in early 1993. Significantly, he was also the fourth different points leader in four races.
“I have to say I didn’t expect this,” said Felipe, “but sometimes you need a little bit of luck, and today it was my turn. Kimi and I were two laps different on fuel – I had more – but it would have been…very difficult to pass him.” Make that ‘impossible’: until his exhaust problem intervened, Raikkonen was more than seven seconds ahead, and had checked out.
If a Ferrari victory were a foregone conclusion, Trulli’s podium place for Toyota was emphatically not, but very popular it was, for Jarno is among the most well-liked of all the drivers, and has driven consistently well this season, usually for little reward. As well as that, this was the first Grand Prix since the death of Ove Andersson, an immensely popular man who contributed enormously to Toyota’s motor sport achievements over the years. “All weekend,” said Trulli, “we wanted to have a good result to dedicate to Ove’s memory, and I’m very happy for that.”
Hamilton may have had a miserable time of it in France, but McLaren did not come away completely empty-handed, for Heikki Kovalainen finished fourth, after a grittily combative drive – also from way back on the grid. On the last lap he tried to put a move on Trulli, but Jarno was having nothing of that, thank you: the cars momentarily touched, then shot off in different directions, but finished in the same order.
Montreal winner Robert Kubica had to settle for fifth this time, and wasn’t too displeased with four points, given that BMW Sauber struggled with pace throughout the weekend (Nick Heidfeld finishing a wilderness 13th). Mark Webber, sixth, again finished well for Red Bull, and the Renaults of Piquet and Alonso seventh and eighth, Nelson finally putting in a reasonable performance on his eighth Grand Prix appearance.
In effect, though, race day at Magny-Cours was decided by the events of the day before, by qualifying. As Raikkonen pointed out, overtaking is nigh impossible at this circuit: if you start well, and don’t screw up, you’ll finish well, too, and that task is all the easier when your main rivals are nowhere on the grid.
After the incident in the pit lane at Montreal, which eliminated both Raikkonen and Hamilton, Kimi was untypically furious, and that was a surprise, for normally he keeps any show of emotion well under control. Even by Finnish standards, he is the most phlegmatic of racing drivers, and even though Hamilton was plainly at fault, one might have expected Raikkonen simply to shrug it off. After all, two weeks earlier, in the late laps of the Monaco Grand Prix, he had completely misjudged his braking at the chicane, and tanked into the back of Sutil’s Force India, which was at that point heading for fourth place – a place which Adrian had thoroughly deserved, after a faultless drive in treacherous conditions, and also a place potentially worth millions of dollars to one of the smaller teams in F1.
Despite all this, Raikkonen obviously thought it ‘a racing incident’, and one not even worthy of an apology. More to the point, so apparently did the powers-that-be, for Kimi went unpunished, and this was a thought in many a McLaren mind when the FIA stewards in Canada announced that Hamilton would carry a 10-place grid penalty into the next race. Nico Rosberg, whose Williams in turn lightly tapped into the back of Lewis’s car, was then bound to incur the same penalty.
On his first couple of quick laps in Q3 at Magny-Cours, Hamilton admitted, he goofed each time at the exit of turn seven, and in the end he was third, behind the two Ferraris, and disappointed. Given his penalty from Montreal, that meant that he started 13th, and McLaren’s cup truly ran over when it was announced that Kovalainen, having ‘driven slowly’ on an out lap, and hindered Webber, who was on a flier, would also be fined some grid slots – five in this case. Thus, the McLarens lined up 10th and 13th. Some teams seem positively to attract bad luck, do they not?
Still, Ferrari weren’t complaining, and neither were those others who benefited from this summary justice. Alonso, for example, was up to third, and starting from the clean side of the track. It was good to see Fernando – however little he had in the tank – up at the good-looking end of the grid, and another reminder of how wasted his talents have been this year.
For all he qualified brilliantly, however, it was obvious that Alonso was be among the first to come in for fuel, and for that strategy truly to pay off – beyond impressing the French crowd, anyway – his Renault needed to make a strong start, which it did not. Fernando really didn’t need to be behind Trulli’s Toyota in the first stint of the race, and thereafter was never a serious factor. A half-spin, two laps from the end of the race, allowed his team mate to get ahead of him.
Not a great race, the 2008 French Grand Prix – in fact, not really a race at all. However, against all expectations a new contract with Bernie Ecclestone has apparently been negotiated, so this was not, after all, the last time around for F1 at Magny-Cours. Confirmation of this is expected on Wednesday, when a provisional calendar for 2009 is to be issued by the FIA: a 20-race schedule is anticipated, this expected to comprise the 18 events in this year’s championship, plus a new Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi – and a welcome return to Indianapolis, after a single year’s absence.
Clive Pritchard, June 23rd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
So, the last French Grand Prix has been run at Magny-Cours, of even in France, but I doubt it. It did look a Lacklustre event,& I noticed two odd things. Martin Brundle did not do his Grid Talkabout, but was seen on TV talking to Team owners on the Grid, also in the home of Champagne, why where the Champange Bottles on the Winners rostrum "Naked"?
Abhijeeth, June 23rd, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Hi Nigel,
A good summary of the French Grand Prix but I am afraid I disagree with your take on Lewis v/s Kimi.
First, Kimi was reported to have apologized to Sutil and this was acknowledged by Sutil and the rest of the team in their press interviews. Kimi did make a mistake at Monaco, but not by messing up the braking into the chicane, he was messed up well before the entry. He came out of the tunnel, braked on a damp patch and that is when it all started.
Lewis' apology was not even one! He said he was sorry "if" he had ruined Kimi's race. Some apology that! I think Kimi was fairly justified in his actions and words both immediately after the incident and in the subsequent press conferences. A Senna or a Schumi would have done much more than that! The case of Schumi v/s Sato comes into the mind.
Journeyer, June 24th, 2008 at 6:43 am
Clive, the champers are 'naked' because liquor ads are banned in France. This ban also covers champagne.
Chris Scholfield, June 24th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Once again, one rule for McLaren and one rule for Ferrari. How come Raikkonen didn't get black flagged for his loose exhaust? It was a projectile in the making and if it had come off and flown in to a following car heaven knows what might have happened.
Chris Scholfield, June 24th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Once again one rule for McLaren and one rule for Ferrari. How come Raikkonen wasn't black-flagged with his loose exhaust pipe. It hardly bears thinking abvout what damage it could have done if it had detached and flown into a following driver.
John Bonello, June 24th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Dear Nigel ,
I am surprised that despite your many years experience in F1 and motosport in general you cannot distinguish between Raikkonen's Monte Carlo accident and Hamilton's in Canada. As Raikkonen said it is quite different to inexplicably lose a car under braking at well over 100 mph and subsequently ramming the car infront up the backside to doing the same thing at under 40 mph when pulling out of the pits , with the pit exit blocked by 2 stationary cars (2 abreast which makes them even more visible!)and the pit lane exit light lit up in red. Your inference that the two incidents are the same and therefore question why Hamilton got penalised while Raikkonen did not is mischief making on your part and continues to underline your bias against the team from Maranello.
Best regards
John Bonello
PS : I have it on good authority that Raikkonen personally apologised to Sutil when the dust had settled.
Aaron James, June 25th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Kimi most certainly did apologise to Adrian Sutil after pranging him out of the race.
I think it is also unfair to characterise the incident as misjudgement, he braked early if anything. As you put it, in treacherous conditions.
I think it is frankly ridiculous to try and equate a mistake made with cold brakes, tyres, at the most difficult circuit on the calendar - wet - and at 150 mph with a mistake made in the dry, at 30mp/h owed specifically to not observing a clear signal, not to mention stationary vehicles.
Hamilton was purely at fault in Canada and offered glib apologies. Kimi was at fault in Monaco but in far more treacherous conditions. He also didn't break clear rules which led to the accident. He still apologised anyway. Lewis ran a red light and collided with someone in the process.
If you did that in real life you'd be in big trouble. If you lose your car in the wet on the street you'll probably be bruised and scratched but you'll have broken no laws.
Bob Berman, June 25th, 2008 at 10:24 am
I remain impressed with L. Hamilton's outright speed and race pace. At the same time though I am becoming more concerned that his lack of "fighter pilot" situational awareness since the latter half of last season has continued through this season to include a short sighted passing move in France. With current rules and no margin of error in Grand Prix I fear inconsistancy will plague his championship aspirations.
Alan Bushell, June 26th, 2008 at 1:37 am
How does Roebuck find the time to write for Motorsport and do PR for McLaren at the same time? Busy boy!
Nick W, June 27th, 2008 at 1:28 am
I don't know about the different camera angle that apparently damned Hamilton ( I'm in OZ) but I cant see why Raikonnen wasn't called in with that lethal piece of searing hot sharp metal flapping about and why weren't Ferrari penalised for not doing it..it eventually did fly off at speed ..what damage would that have done if it had flown off down the straight and gone into the stands?
John Miller, June 27th, 2008 at 7:21 am
I have not seen it referred to anywhere, but unless my eyes deceived me, Hamilton was heading towards the back of a BMW when he started to leave the pits, then turned left a bit…
Chris Scholfield, June 28th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Once again one rule for McLaren and one rule for Ferrari. Surely Raikkonen's loose exhaust should have brought out the red flag. It was a projectile in waiting.
Gordon McCabe, July 3rd, 2008 at 8:05 pm
McLaren do indeed seem to have attracted an awful lot of bad luck in the past year. In fact, many of the teams to have challenged Ferrari for the F1 World Championship over the past decade seem to have attracted very similar ill fortune.
Mark Roberts, July 15th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Dear Nigel,
Just to maintain a balance, as others have mentioned previously in their responses, Raikkonen did apologise publicly (and privately, apparently). Then a few weeks after Monaco, the stewards were to have released a report on various unpunished race infractions- including Sutil´s multiple passings under yellow flags at Monaco. Perhaps the race incident between him and Kimi would not have had such media attention if Sutil were running in his penalised position.
It would seem there are "one rule"-s for more than two…
And by the way, I have yet to hear more about the stewards´ report.
Best regards,
Mark Roberts