motorsportmania

#BelgianGP – starting with pre race, let’s say that we accept the Renault logic for dropping Nick Heidfeld, so we were wrong to criticise last week. Also to say that we think Nick is bonkers going to court to try and get his drive back. They don’t want you man, walk away.

Qualifying. Sad at the cock up that kept JB from a decent start position. He was on for a top 4 at least and, as things played out, where might he have finished. As for Lewis and Pastor! Start at the beginning; Lewis was catching the two Williams cars on the run up to bus stop and they were in turn behind Massa. In the heat of that how was Pastor to know that he was about to get shoved rudely aside as Lewis just barged him out of the way? He did appear to try and give Lewis room once he found the McLaren bouncing off him but Lewis’ momentum saw the McLaren hit the Williams again on the exit of the corner.

OK, the time Lewis lost there might just have been enough to have cost him pole and he was pumped up, but he didn’t need to swerve at Pastor as the latter came alongside him out of La Source. Pastor must also have been pumped. He too had been on a hot one and looked to be catching Rubens around the lap. If the blue flags were being waved at the bus stop who were they for as far as Pastor was concerned? He was blocked up behind Massa and his team mate, so it could have been for any of them, and then all of a sudden he has a McLaren punting him wide and costing him time.

What Pastor did after Lewis swerved at him out of La Source was unacceptable at any level and I would have thought that a one race ban might have been more appropriate, but Lewis does need to watch his temper. He has an aggression level that crosses boundaries still. That said, he redeemed himself later…

As for the race, why do they insist on starting with a short run to the hairpin? Surely moving the start back round the other side would reduce the annual crash fest? Anyway, we got cars bouncing all around and one that got clobbered was a certain mid grid starting McLaren and he was to run just a few laps before stopping for a new wing and to dump the harder tyres. We then got a classic charge through to third but, as we said at the top, what might that have been had they not had to change the front wing and how much time did the damaged rear one cost? Surely now we can lay the reputation for JB not being a racer?

And Lewis? Someone referred to Kobakrashi as being a bit of a Kamikaze pilot. Sorry, but he failed that course; Kamikaze pilots don’t come back, but Kamui seems to almost always be around at the finish and in the points. The bloke is an amazing survivor. I’d agree that Lewis was more to blame for the contact with Kamui, but what was the latter doing where he was? He really couldn’t have expected to gain any advantage from having his nose up the outside of the McLaren at that point. A great shame that the incident put Lewis out and he was very lucky that he didn’t get hurt.

Man of the Race? Well MSC gets a mention for a great drive through to 5^th, team mate Nico also worth a mention for passing Vettel for the lead early on and heading the race twice with confidence. JB demonstrated overtaking ability par excellence (including stiffing MSC), but our Man of the Race goes to Lewis. Why? Because he held his hand up and accepted his exit from the race was his own fault once he’d seen the replay. Well played Lewis.

Vettel’s win? He fluked it with the safety car call and I don’t think that he could have beaten Webbo or JB without that help, possibly not even Alonso. But you make your own luck sometimes.

#Indycar – Out in CA Will Power showed his mastery of courses that go both ways again with a commanding pole position and backed up the Penske 1-2-3 lock out in qualifying to lead them 1-2-3 at the flag in Sonoma. Dario picked up fourth, but his lead is now down to 26 points in the title race. Off the Baltimore next week for the Labor Day weekend clash.

#NASCAR – Well, the #2 certainly has some momentum coming up to the Chase. Could young Brad win the title this year? Hard to bet against in many ways, but will his inexperience tell?  Mot mush else to say other than good to see the RPM Fords finishing well up again. The #43 doesn’t look like it will make the chase, but consistently good results see the Dinger well up and the Digger in the #9 looks set for a solid top 20 finish in his first season at RPM.

#Karting – just an honourable mention for Mr Karting Martin Hines who left the grid over the weekend. His enthusiasm for Kart racing saw him help so many stars of grand prix racing over the years. And it wasn’t just the direct help that he gave to certain individuals, Kart racing would probably not have been such a well run and popular sport had it not been for Martin’s input over the last 40+ years. Without that first rung on the ladder, would so many people have got to learn their craft? RIP Martin Hines, we are going to miss you.

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