In the beginning he was the perfect pilot. The jewel of the McLaren laboratory. Talent to spare on the track, never a word out of place. The best rookie ever, the pride of Ron Dennis. Now Lewis Hamilton is always strong, he wins, he leads the World Championship, but for some time now he has also started to flex his muscles. Not in the race, he has always done that since his debut, his former teammate, Fernando Alonso, knows something about it, but on a verbal level. Lewis Hamilton has become absolutely aware of his abilities, a natural preamble to the goal of becoming the youngest World Champion in the history of F1, a goal that he could achieve in just over two months. The Hamilton who confesses in an interview with the monthly Men's Health looks a lot like a superman.
"I never fear for my life. And given the job I do, it's better this way. Adrenaline is better. When the red start lights go out and the engines scream, I no longer hear anything. There is no one more competitive than me. In victory there is a cocktail of character, determination, passion and talent: the fear of losing cannot give me motivation, simply because I am not afraid of losing. If sometimes I'm a little nervous it's because I know how well I can do. When I climb into the cockpit and the engine starts, the adrenaline rushes. From that moment I am in a mental state that makes me push the car to the limit, until the moment before it crashes. It's like balancing on a razor's edge and staying there for the entire duration of the grand prix. Driving is exhausting. If a normal man drove an F1 car on a circuit, at our speeds, he would use all his strength to finish a lap. Physical preparation is fundamental, which is why I want to become the best trained driver of all. Because if the body is not in order, it begins to take energy away from the mind. And winning becomes impossible".
At the same time, the criticisms against Kimi Raikkonen are exaggerated, the Finn will also be driving Ferrari in 2009, again alongside Massa. This was said by president Luca Montezemolo, present in Monza on Friday 29 August 2008 to follow the tests of the Maranello team.
"All this reminds me of when Inzaghi was at Juve, and if he didn't score for three games, everyone said he was in crisis. Never settle. Kimi is not in crisis, he is motivated, we must put him in a position to start further forward, especially in these new circuits where nine times out of ten the one with pole wins".
The president also returns to talk about first and second guides:
"It's an old refrain. Here the hierarchy is made only by the stopwatch, not by the president, nor by the team. Any driver races for Ferrari".
All he was missing was the most infamous accusation:
"Kimi doesn't like this sport".
Never have we seen such an accusation for a reigning world champion like Kimi Raikkonen. And Bernie Ecclestone, who has frequented many drivers and circuits over the last quarter of a century, says it:
"I don't know if he was ever truly in love with the sport. Of course, he is a fantastic driver with extraordinary talent, but I can't believe the way he is driving these days".
In reality, the suspicion is that the patron of F1, on the eve of the Belgian Grand Prix, took advantage of the Finn's dark moment to hit a driver who has never done his utmost to promote Formula 1.
It is a secret, in fact, that Kimi Raikkonen hates interviews like catwalk advertising. And in general Bernie Ecclestone has already seen for a few years that the new drivers all have this tendency and more than once he had criticized what for him is a trend that is not good. Yet another criticism, however, adds to the chorus of doubts that Kimi Raikkonen has raised for a couple of months now, and it certainly won't help him in morale, although his reply is easily imaginable: a shrug of the shoulders and the usual refrain:
"Everyone can say what they want".
One of his characteristics (which has become an advantage over time) is that of never getting into controversies and squabbles and always remaining on the sidelines, no matter what the cost. Kimi Raikkonen, as a good taciturn Finn, has never cared about image. But he is aware of one thing: the Belgian Grand Prix is a sort of last chance for him. If it went badly, this 2008 would turn into his anno horribilis.
"I usually leave Spa with a good result. Today, considering what happened in the last few races, I need it more than ever".
To explain his morale and to respond to Bernie Ecclestone, the Finnish pilot uses old school memories:
"It's sad to be involved in so many negative moments, but these are things that can happen: it wasn't the first time and it won't be the last in my career, you just have to live with similar situations. When I went to school it wasn't pleasant to go home after getting a bad grade on a test. All you could do was try harder to do better next time. Even today, what I can do is react to a negative situation".
It's all Kimi Raikkonen, in the adolescent metaphor, and his rivals would do well not to underestimate him, not to consider him exploded. Last year, after all, he recovered 17 points in the last two Grands Prix, winning a world championship that no one would have bet on. And even in the past, Michael Schumacher had to change his mind when, in 2004, his Grand Prix title was postponed thanks to an exploit by Kimi (in Indianapolis):
"He never ceases to amaze, that one".
said the German. But it is a mistake that only those of the competition can make, because Felipe Massa said that he will pay great attention to his teammate:
"It will be difficult to beat Raikkonen in Belgium".
The only satisfaction of the day for the World Champion comes from the Finnish Post Office which dedicated the stamp for his 2007 victory to him. Always better than criticism. Now or never. Never like this time can we talk about a last chance for Kimi Raikkonen. Also because this is the track he loves, he won three times in a row at Spa, twice with McLaren, and last year with Ferrari, he triumphed in 2004, 2005 and 2007, he escaped in 2006, but only because Bernie Ecclestone - who in the meantime is relaunching the idea of a Grand Prix in Las Vegas - had canceled this legendary circuit from the calendar. The Finn can no longer make mistakes, if he wants to match speed phenomena such as Ayrton Senna and Jim Clark (the only ones to achieve a consecutive poker at Spa), but above all if he wants to keep the throne of World Champion in his living room. Kimi Raikkonen is aware of this:
"I feel in good shape and I usually go very fast here. I know I have a very strong Ferrari in my hands, all the conditions are there for a new success".
Mainly, he guarantees, there seems to be that competitive ferocity that had recently been lacking a bit, to the point of even receiving criticism from Bernie Ecclestone, disconcerted by his performance and ready to accuse him of never having loved Formula 1. Kimi Raikkonen prefers not to answer:
"Ecclestone's sentences? I won't go into certain topics. And it also applies to what others say".
No replies. Better to vent your desire for revenge on the field, on a track that has the most difficult curves in the world, starting with the feared Eau Rouge. With the rain driving risks being a challenge and the forecast doesn't suggest anything good. There are even those who speak of 11 °C temperatures on Sunday, the day of the race, which is anything but summer, but Kimi Raikkonen isn't worried in the slightest.
"The important thing is that there is a defined climate, wet or dry track, not that mix in which strategy becomes fundamental in the economy of the race and perhaps everything is decided by an episode or a stroke of luck".
The Finn, immersed in the desperate pursuit of Lewis Hamilton, can no longer take risks and would prefer to entrust his rebirth only to himself and not to any external factors. The one who relies a lot on the help of others is the British driver himself. And he does it in a paradoxical way, convinced that two Ferrari drivers (precisely because they are in competition) are worth less than one McLaren.
"They will take points away from each other, they will never help each other, which is why I consider myself the favourite".
Accusations of poor collaboration that Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen reject with disdain. He says the Brazilian:
"The team never talked about first driver, they didn't make a choice and it's right, given that Raikkonen is still in the running for the World Championship, but I'm convinced that if there's a need he will help me. Like I did with him last year".
Yet Lewis Hamilton insists:
"Last season I aimed to win races, now I'm focused on one goal, the title. I feel at the top of my career and my McLaren is better than Ferrari. We have grown on this track, in Monza we are stronger, only in Singapore can they be superior, but then we go to Japan and China, tracks that are congenial to us. We can close the accounts there".
Completely the opposite of what Felipe Massa thinks.
"Spa and Monza are the decisive stages and here we can do a double".
Only one anguish grips the mind of the Brazilian driver: the engine is the same as in Valencia, there would be a third failure in a row.
"So far we have been disappointing in terms of reliability. The time has come to change this story too".
Friday, September 5, 2008, the first session was held on a dry track under cloudy skies; Massa was fastest with a time of 1'47"284, just quicker than his Ferrari teammate Räikkönen. The McLarens of Hamilton and Kovalainen, Alonso, Webber, Bourdais and Vettel completed the top eight. Light rain during the second session grew momentarily heavier halfway through, forcing the teams to switch to their wet set-ups. Hamilton led for most of the running, before Alonso, Massa and Kovalainen set faster times late in the session on a drying track. Räikkönen, Piquet, Coulthard, Bourdais and Webber all had off-track excursions with little damage done; a Fisichella spin at Stavelot forced the session to be halted for ten minutes while the debris was removed and water was cleared from the track. Kimi Raikkonen is limping due to a blow to his right knee. Certainly lighter than the hard impact of his Ferrari against the barriers, a spin due to a slippery curb and a slimy track, the car turning and hitting the rear, the wing blowing off and the floor heavily damaged with the result of closing the second free practice session half an hour early. Less bloody, but equally heavy on his body and above all on his morale, given that that leg that hits the steering wheel during the accident is the bitter conclusion of a Black Friday, not up to his desire for rebirth, with electronic problems in the morning, the clock that puts him behind his teammate, Felipe Massa, the two fines for speeding along the pit lane: the limiter doesn't work and Kimi Raikkonen will have to pay 4.900 euros. And the less than exciting performances can also be seen again at the beginning of the afternoon. It's certainly not the best way to start. The Finn didn't get a single one right, yet he doesn't despair. He tells the Finnish media:
"When you start falling, you have to get to the bottom, because stopping first is very difficult. I think I've hit the floor, I hope I've gotten there and now I can finally begin the ascent. It's not a question of motivation, my motivation is always the same, unfortunately the victories haven't come in recent times and for this reason I admit I'm a bit frustrated. But I'm not giving up, I'll keep fighting. If it's the case I'll help Massa, there's no doubt about it, but only when I'm out of the game, not before. Of course, he gave me a hand last year, I don't forget it, but at the last race. I can't be asked to do it now".
It won't be necessary, if here he manages to return to a success that has been missing since 27 April 2008, the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. This is his track in Belgium, he has won the last three editions of the race and before it started he was the favourite. Is there still room for hope in Kimi Raikkonen's head?
"That's always there, the car isn't bad, I made a mistake at turn 9, I shouldn't have hit the curb, otherwise I was quite satisfied. The real unknown is the climate: I believe that the weather conditions will play a decisive role because we will not have a defined situation as I would have liked, wet or dry track, but we will continue to navigate in uncertainty, with that asphalt which is difficult to decipher and which never protects you from mistakes".
Kimi Raikkonen, doesn't hide it, would prefer a dry track: with a dry climate here Ferrari would have everything it takes to achieve an easy one-two. It is unlikely that he will be satisfied and so all that remains is to rely on the unexpected, hoping that he will combine it with luck. Felipe Massa, the fastest in the morning (and absolutely given that the first session had faster times than the second) and behind only Fernando Alonso (unfueled) by 0.050 seconds in the second practice session, rain or not he did not doubts about one's chances of winning:
"The car has an excellent balance, it responds well, pole and victory are possible".
But even Lewis Hamilton, perhaps due to the forecast rain, spreads optimism:
"The Ferrari is fast, but its times don't scare me. We are on the same level. And in the wet I can make the difference".
Toyota driver Jarno Trulli qualified 11th after he experienced problems generating heat into his tyres; his teammate Timo Glock experienced similar problems and lined up from 13th behind Piquet. Coulthard and Rosberg took the next two grid spots, ahead of the Honda pair of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button, who both believed they had maximized the performance of their cars. Force India driver Adrian Sutil, Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima and Fisichella took the final three positions. Another mistake. Now or never, it was said, on the track that saw him triumph three times, but unfortunately Kimi Raikkonen made another mistake. The Saturday battle is becoming a real curse for him.
"I went wide at turn 7 and that didn't help me".
This error not only prevented him from achieving the pole position, won by Hamilton, but also put him behind his teammate, Felipe Massa, increasingly the first Ferrari driver for merits on the field, and his compatriot Heikki Kovalainen, a Finn who with his McLaren he has the task of protecting Lewis Hamilton's back, but above all of marking the two Ferrari drivers on sight. Kimi Raikkonen has failed again, although this time he claims to be satisfied with the car:
"It behaves the way I like it, I feel it is closer to my driving style".
Ferrari enticed him, but qualifying remained an obsession, with yet another disappointing performance and a fourth place on the grid that transformed his race into a tremendous climb.
"Rain can change everything".
Says the Finnish pilot, with the air of someone who trusts in external factors, knowing that he cannot rely only on his own help.
"The weather conditions will be decisive, we will have to be good at interpreting them in the best way".
Woe betide him if he made a mistake in the choice of tyres, for example, as happened at Silverstone, the blunder in the pits which deprived him of a possible victory. Kimi Raikkonen is risking everything and hopes to see perfection everywhere. However, he too must put his best foot forward, give more. Because it's true that the climate can be upsetting, but the second row, starting from the dirty side, is certainly not the best way to start.
"I paid dearly for that mistake. That doesn't mean she's lost hope. Fourth place won't be the ideal position to try to win, but I'm not giving up. I can still do it. Just as it is not logical to talk about a last resort, given that there are still six races to go. Of course, if the person in front of me continues to win, it becomes tough, but I prefer not to think about it".
The problem is that Ferrari, analyzing Felipe Massa's flawless performance more than Kimi Raikkonen's, discovered, at least on a single lap, that it was slower than McLaren, after starting the weekend as favourite. Felipe Massa is honest at the end of qualifying:
"I didn't do anything wrong, my lap was perfect, yet we are behind. There's no denying it, I lacked speed. Hamilton gave me three tenths of a second and I struggle to understand why, given that I got the most out of the car. The only explanation is that we are slower on wet asphalt".
Felipe Massa is not the type to proclaim random alarms. If he admits inferiority, it means that he fears the enterprise of others. Which is difficult to digest when the opponent already has six points more in the standings. We would need a start like in Budapest, from third to first with Lewis Hamilton beaten, but even in this case no promises:
"The straight is shorter. And then I start from the dirty side of the track".
The situation is difficult, while Fernando Alonso (subjected to anti-doping with Vitantonio Liuzzi, Jenson Button, Nelson Piquet Jr., Timo Glock and Robert Kubica), not very interested in the current World Championship, and launches a sort of ultimatum to Ferrari for the future:
"If he's going to get me in 2010, let me know. Because I have many offers (especially Honda) and I can't wait forever".
On the opposite side, this time Lewis Hamilton feels unbeatable. And he is bolder than usual:
"It will be hard, very hard to beat us".
The British rider is optimistic and absolutely doesn't want to hold back:
"I'm trying not to smile, to stay calm".
It will be the pole position but:
"Even compared to Valencia I no longer have a sore neck".
The Englishman is concentrated, and the message he sends to Ferrari is an invitation to resign:
"It was a great day for me. I am absolutely satisfied, there were no mistakes. Neither on my part, nor on the team's part. We lapped in all three qualifying sessions superbly, and the choices were rewarded, sensitive, which we had decided on Friday".
The novelty of his driving was also the exploitation of the tire lock during corners:
"Exactly, that's also why we were so fast: it's one of the characteristics of the car, and on this circuit I made the most of it".
The circuit, Spa, where only technique can prevail.
"Very true: my favorite track is Monte-Carlo, but here you get incredible sensations, especially when you arrive at Eau Rouge. it's difficult to explain: if in Monte Carlo it's fascinating to pass by the barriers, here you realize you're at the top of the slopes. You can't afford to make mistakes, you always have to do the right thing".
However, it could rain, it could be a variable gone crazy. But not for Lewis Hamilton, nothing can undermine his certainties.
"No, we tried all the tyres, all the settings. With the rain it will be more complicated, also because we no longer have traction control, but I think we've done a good job, that the car is fine and won't let us down".
The other obstacle could be the start: half a kilometer and then the first bend, already the scene of challenges in the past.
"But I think it should be easier: I'll be ahead, and the effects of a good start will be seen better".
In short, it seems that the lesson of 2007 transformed Lewis Hamilton:
"McLaren has already confirmed its drivers for 2009, so there will be no controversy between us at this championship finale".
On Sunday 7 September 2008, at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton retained first position, while Felipe Massa maintained second place and Kimi Räikkönen was third, before passing the Brazilian at the end of the Kemmel straight. Jarno Trulli climbs to fourth place at the Source, but is rear-ended by Sebastien Bourdais. Heikki Kovalainen made a very slow start and is actually in thirteenth position. At the end of the lap, Fernando Alonso was fourth ahead of Sebastien Bourdais and Jarno Trulli who spun at the Bus Stop, slipping to the rear. Kimi Räikkönen also passed Lewis Hamilton the following lap, again at Kemmel, taking advantage of a half-spin committed by the British driver as he exited the source. Kimi Räikkönen tries to pull away but Lewis Hamilton stays in contact while Felipe Massa loses a few tenths of a second on every lap. In the meantime, Heikki Kovalainen came back like a fury, with a series of good overtakings and, on the fifth lap, he was already eighth, then passing Robert Kubica, three laps later, again on Kemmel. Sebastian Vettel makes a nice overtake at the Bus Stop against Nelson Piquet Jr. and takes tenth place. The pace of Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton continues to be unsustainable, even for Felipe Massa and Heikki Kovalainen, and even more so for the rest of the group. The McLaren Finn's comeback came to a halt during the tenth lap, when he attacked Mark Webber at the bus stop, but was not flanked and hit the Australian's car, sending him into a spin. He will be penalized with a drive through which he will serve after the pit stop. During lap 11 Lewis Hamilton inaugurates the festival of pit stops, continuing with the Soft tyres. The Briton returns to the track behind Heikki Kovalainen, but passes him, having been warned by the pits that his teammate will have to serve a drive through penalty. Kimi Räikkönen returns to the pits on lap 12 and takes in approximately the same amount of petrol as Lewis Hamilton's car, but now has around four seconds ahead of the Englishman.
During lap 13 Felipe Massa also returns to the pits, as does Fernando Alonso, without any changes in position. During lap 13 Nelson Piquet Jr. He crashed after the Pouhon, and retired. Meanwhile, Kimi Räikkönen increases his advantage over Lewis Hamilton to around 5 seconds, taking advantage of the fact that the Englishman is behind Sebastien Bourdais and Robert Kubica. The two return to the pits at the same time, and Sebastien Bourdais returns to the track ahead of the BMW-Sauber Pole. After the drive through, Heikki Kovalainen returns to the track in P14. Sebastian Vettel is the last driver in the top ten to pit on lap 17 and, thanks to some excellent laps, rises to seventh place, not far from the pair in front of him. Behind him, Nick Heidfeld makes a nice overtaking move against Timo Glock on lap 18, right when braking at Le Combe. During lap 20 Rubens Barrichello retires due to gearbox failure. At mid-race Kimi Räikkönen is leading the race, with 5. 8 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton and around 11 seconds ahead of Felipe Massa. Fernando Alonso, solo, is half a minute away from the top. Kimi Räikkönen returns to the pits with 19 laps to go, as does Lewis Hamilton. Both drivers restart in the same entry order, after having fitted Hard tyres. However, Hamilton slowly began to reduce Kimi Räikkönen's lead, quickly taking it under two seconds. Felipe Massa returns to the pits to make his second stop, after leading the group, with 17 laps to go. The Brazilian also begins to reduce his gap to the leader and the three leading riders close together, being within five seconds with about ten laps to go. Meanwhile, a slow stop costs Robert Kubica a couple of positions, given that now the two Toro Rossos are ahead of the two BMWs.
As the race continued, the temperature dropped, the sky became increasingly darker and a few drops of rain fell, while Kimi Räikkönen started losing tenths of a second again. With five laps to go Lewis Hamilton is less than 0.9 seconds behind the World Champion. The rain intensifies, and only three and a half laps remain. But Kimi Räikkönen regains 0.5 seconds, and brings the gap back to 2 seconds with three laps to go. The rain becomes heavy with two laps to go; Kimi Räikkönen had to thwart an attempted attack on the bus stop at the end of lap 42, Lewis Hamilton crossed the chicane, gave up the position but then passed to La Source. From then on the brawl breaks out as the times increase by thirty seconds per lap. Lewis Hamilton makes a mistake at Fagne and regains the leadership, but Kimi Räikkönen spun and then lost control and hit the wall at Blanchimont, putting an end to his race and his hopes of winning the World Championship. Felipe Massa manages to resist and finishes second. Behind the first three, Nick Heidfeld mounts the intermediates with two laps to go and on the last lap he passes numerous opponents; Fernando Alonso, who put on intermediate tires before the last lap, also took fourth place, passing Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel after the last corner. Sebastien Bourdais, who was on the podium halfway through the last lap, actually finished in seventh place. Heikki Kovalainen stops on the last lap. At the end of the race, the stewards judged Lewis Hamilton's overtaking of Kimi Räikkönen with two laps to go as unfair, as they judge that the English driver would have taken advantage of a cut in the last chicane of the track to get in the slipstream of Kimi Räikkönen, penalizing him 25 seconds and thus giving the victory to Felipe Massa. The Briton ranks third. McLaren appealed against the stewards' decision, as, according to the data, Lewis Hamilton was 6 km/h slower than Kimi Räikkönen at the finish line, but this was rejected as inadmissible. Timo Glock was also penalized 25 seconds for overtaking under yellow flags, thus losing eighth place. The German Toyota driver was relegated to ninth place, behind Mark Webber. The Australian Red Bull Racing driver thus wins a championship point. Another victory for Ferrari in the Belgian Grand Prix. Another victory for Felipe Massa who is now just two points behind Lewis Hamilton in the World Championship standings.
A race only partially tormented by the rain of the infamous Ardennes, where the Allied tanks heading towards Nazi Germany once got bogged down. The worst torment, if anything, was waiting for the juries, the commissioners, amidst protests and unpleasant sentences. Duelists as usual are Ferrari and McLaren, already protagonists last year in the unfortunate industrial espionage affair. Kimi Raikkonen, the disappointing World Champion, leads the race from the first lap. Three to go to the finish line when Lewis Hamilton of rival McLaren overtakes him. It's starting to rain but Kimi Raikkonen isn't there, he doesn't want to give up even if he has obvious difficulties with the tyres. Lewis Hamilton is behind him and wants to overtake him, Kimi Raikkonen squeezes him a bit in the corner, the Englishman realizes he can't do it and instantly opts for the only possible solution: he gives up on overtaking and cuts the corner cleanly, rejoining track ahead of his rival. But the referees of the match open an investigation into the criminal act. This opens up the corridors of commissions and endless meetings. Lewis Hamilton is penalized 25 seconds, enough to drop him from first to third place. Equally obviously, the person who had finished second at the finish line, the blameless Felipe Massa, takes first place and thus, at the end of the race, becomes the winner of the Belgian Grand Prix on the legendary Spa-Francorchamps track. Naturally, McLaren doesn't agree and is threatening to appeal to higher courts which will require more time. It seems that the resentments that were badly put to rest after last year's affair are rekindling fire and this too will end up not being a clear and calm championship. It's a shame because Formula 1 with the Spa circuit had rediscovered the lost and still much desired spectacularity of the past with its bends, its breathtaking straights, its speeds of over 300 km/h and, above all, the many, thousand, opportunities for make the famous overtakings. In all this discussion you will have realized that we are not talking about Kimi Raikkonen, yet another disappointment for Ferrari and its fans. What great things did he do to remain rightfully Ferrari's number one to the detriment of Felipe Massa? who wins victories one after another? Nothing. Actually, worse: after Lewis Hamilton's mistake in the rush to overtake him he crashed into a wall. He is safe and sound but has lost ten points as Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton continue on their journey to winning the world title. Will the Italian Grand Prix in Monza be enough to resurrect him? Wouldn't it be better to think about replacing him with the prince of Asturias, Fernando Alonso? The euphoria and the desperation. Joy and anger.
The prudence of Felipe Massa which is worth much more than the ardor of Kimi Raikkonen. The Brazilian driver has just left the circuit when he hears the news that he has won the Belgian Grand Prix. Extreme success, not so much because it brings him to double figures in career triumphs, a ten which embellishes his driver's report card, as well as because it projects him just two points behind Lewis Hamilton in the world championship standings, a trifle on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix. He doesn't comment, Felipe Massa: the Maranello team locks him down, prevents him from making any statement, have you ever seen, perhaps he shows that he enjoys the misfortunes of others too much, those of Lewis Hamilton, who was thrown off the top step of the podium, but above all than those of his teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, now a former World Champion from the bottom of his 19 points gap from the top of the World Championship rankings. Felipe Massa rejoices, obviously, Ferrari enjoys the turning point made by the stewards and the victory decided two hours after the end of the race. Only Kimi Raikkonen remains to complain, curse and scream his anger. That everything had to be played and everything was played, but in the end in the wrong way, after an extraordinary performance. He finally showed ferocity at the start, a wonderful overtaking against Felipe Massa in the first lap, then the one against Lewis Hamilton with even more determination in the second, for 42 laps he had no opponents, he flew towards the finish line, the epilogue ruined everything. He immediately tries to take refuge in philosophy:
"I was prepared to win or lose, luck turned the other way, it happens".
But this time we cannot remain impassive, no one would be able to. And then on with the accusations.
"When you cut the chicane, there are rules and they must be respected. Don't tell me he gave me the lead back, I had a two-car lead over Hamilton and I found him glued to my butt, ready to exploit my slipstream. No, it's not done that way. Like the change of trajectory. It's only possible once, after the chicane he cut me off twice. He went first right and then left. I'm curious to see what the commissioners will decide".
The outburst comes before the sentence. Kimi Raikkonen doesn't yet know that the judges will agree with him, somehow they will do justice, taking the victory away from Lewis Hamilton. For him, however, it is little consolation. For the present:
"I find myself empty-handed, without points. It's not the result I deserved".
But above all for the future.
"I don't know if the championship is compromised, right now I don't want to think about something like that, let me hope, there are 5 races, maybe a miracle will happen".
A remote eventuality, so much so that Stefano Domenicali, the Ferrari team principal, has made it clear for the first time that the hierarchical choice is imminent:
"Let us evaluate calmly, we will make the most logical decision, we cannot afford to lose important points".
Green light for Felipe Massa. After Lewis Hamilton was penalized:
"He was much faster than me, he cut me off, there was no need to be so aggressive".
Finnish can no longer be. In Belgium, however, wasn't it convenient to settle for second place at the end, which then turned into first?
"Winning was an obligation, I couldn't make calculations".
Kimi was risking everything. And it all slipped away. Ending up against the barriers at Blanchimont, turn 17. Like that number of victories that hasn't moved since April 27, 2008. Beastly Sunday? Try telling that to Felipe Massa. For him it's the brightest Sunday in the world, to hell with the rain that soaked the whole weekend. He won the Belgian Grand Prix, bringing his gap in the standings to just 2 points from Lewis Hamilton. It matters little if the triumph arrived sub judice, if the judges handed it to him two hours after the end of the race. It matters little if his victory is the victory of prudence, bad start, race without taking risks, slow pace in the last two laps, to cross the finish line and collect some points. The Sunday of others is beastly, of Lewis Hamilton who first rejoices and then despairs, for having waged war with Kimi Raikkonen in vain, because his first place is actually a third, because the 25 second penalty inflicted by the commissioners is a ballast against which one cannot defend oneself, because the accusation is of having been incorrect, of having taken advantage of cutting a chicane, of not having returned the record to Kimi Raikkonen in the appropriate manner, of having only pretended and that label of crafty will stick to him for a while. McLaren's Sunday is beastly, as it watches in anger the revolution decided by the three race judges and then reacts with its head down, looking for the right quibble to appeal a ruling that in itself would not be contestable, because it is assimilated to a drive-through imposed in the last five laps of the race, a sanction that may not be served on the track, but automatically translates into a 25 second penalty. There can be no appeal, the FIA solemnly states, when the commissioners' decision is made known. Half an hour later the about-face: you cannot appeal the sentence, but you can appeal against the ranking. Thus the case will end up at the International Court of Appeal, a body independent of the Federation based in Paris. A representative of an English automobile club must activate the mechanism within eight days, McLaren's is only a notice of appeal, if he does so, the matter will end up in court (provided the Court deems the protest admissible) and at that point will understand if Ron Dennis is right in stating that: but it automatically results in a 25 second penalty. There can be no appeal, the FIA solemnly states, when the commissioners' decision is made known.
Half an hour later the about-face: you cannot appeal the sentence, but you can appeal against the ranking. Thus the case will end up at the International Court of Appeal, a body independent of the Federation based in Paris. A representative of an English automobile club must activate the mechanism within eight days, McLaren's is only a notice of appeal, if he does so, the matter will end up in court (provided the Court deems the protest admissible) and at that point will understand if Ron Dennis is right in stating that: but it automatically results in a 25 second penalty. There can be no appeal, the FIA solemnly states, when the commissioners' decision is made known. Half an hour later the about-face: you cannot appeal the sentence, but you can appeal against the ranking. Thus the case will end up at the International Court of Appeal, a body independent of the Federation based in Paris. A representative of an English automobile club must activate the mechanism within eight days, McLaren's is only a notice of appeal, if he does so, the matter will end up in court (provided the Court deems the protest admissible) and at that point will understand if Ron Dennis is right in stating that: Half an hour later the about-face: you cannot appeal the sentence, but you can appeal against the ranking. Thus the case will end up at the International Court of Appeal, a body independent of the Federation based in Paris. A representative of an English automobile club must activate the mechanism within eight days, McLaren's is only a notice of appeal, if he does so, the matter will end up in court (provided the Court deems the protest admissible) and at that point will understand if Ron Dennis is right in stating that: Half an hour later the about-face: you cannot appeal the sentence, but you can appeal against the ranking. Thus the case will end up at the International Court of Appeal, a body independent of the Federation based in Paris. A representative of an English automobile club must activate the mechanism within eight days, McLaren's is only a notice of appeal, if he does so, the matter will end up in court (provided the Court deems the protest admissible) and at that point will understand if Ron Dennis is right in stating that:
"Hamilton was immediately given the order to let Raikkonen pass, he slowed down by six seconds".
Or if the judges were right, drawing a line on the splendid final duel between the English driver and Kimi Raikkonen, with the result of rewarding Felipe Massa. The judges' investigation, the wait for the decision, everything passes over him, it has no importance for him. On the day of his best race of the year he understood that this is a season to throw away. Not a Sunday. A beastly 2008. An ironic and dramatic applause from a mechanic who is dismantling the motorhome is the first reaction from McLaren Mercedes to Lewis Hamilton's penalty. But the anger of the English team is translated otherwise, through legal channels, in an international court. No dramas or press conferences and explanations: everything had already been said before, both to the journalists and the race commissioners.
"We have seen all the data, and we have also offered it to the FIA judges. In those videos you can see that Lewis is six kilometers per hour slower than Raikkonen when they pass on the straight. Not only that: our pilot's maneuver is clear, so we can only announce our intention to appeal".
But who will they turn to, since the penalty is unappealable? To the FIA International Tribunal, an independent body, which will presumably examine the evidence of the affair between the Italian and Singapore Grand Prix.
"Inevitably Kimi squeezed Lewis and was unable to take the chicane. We immediately told him to let Kimi pass, who regained the lead: this is what happened".
Ron Dennis had answered the fatal question before the judges were called. Not only that: he also added:
"We followed the rules. We are quite calm, Lewis behaved according to the regulations. I don't think there should be a political issue, the judges will do their job. I don't think there will be any penalties".
Never have words been less prophetic, and in fact the McLaren managers did not take it well, and opted for legal action. The drivers had already left the paddock when the FIA made the decision known, and in retrospect the words of Hamilton, who had given his version of events, seem out of place:
"We almost collided, Kimi and I: at a certain point I ended up on the grass, and the thing is that from then on things went better for me. Afterwards, on another occasion he pushed me out, I was a little ahead after turn one, but I ended up outside, even though I managed to push him on the inside but he almost touched me".
In reality, the leader of the ranking had put it on the mystical, admitting that he had had more than one experience. And not only that, because she had confessed that she had prayed for rain, almost invoked a pact and the help of heaven, which then opened. And with the arrival of the drops he saw Kimi Raikkonen again, forced to slow down to keep on track.
"Previously I didn't know how to do it. I was only thinking about pushing, I thought I would catch him, then there were all those problems, the traffic, and finally he spun, it all happened suddenly".
The pilot's joy lasted almost three hours: then he answered the phone call from Spa, as he was about to board the plane returning to England.
"Penalized? Demoted from first to third? It is not possible. It's not right".
Opinion shared by the entire team who, despite the words of Norbert Haug ("We must have fair play. We must be sporting and correct"), has chosen another tug-of-war with the FIA and another judicial dispute that it cannot fail to recall the ghosts of their terrible 2007. The day after nothing changes. McLaren-Mercedes remains in its positions and spends Monday separating the two offices, the sporting one and the administrative-legal one: in the latter there is the pool that prepares the papers for the appeal (the intention having only been announced of the appeal, Sunday evening). In the other there is the classic post-race briefing, a custom that all teams have in common: a more important meeting than usual because in five days we will compete again, in what is the last European Grand Prix of the season, in Monza. Says Norbert Haug from Germany:
"We will keep our heads high".
The German head of Mercedes reiterates that Hamilton did not gain any advantage. From England the English driver does not want to express any other thoughts, relying on a concise statement and essentially repeating what he had already declared before the penalty:
"When it started raining Raikkonen became more cautious and I managed to get closer to him".
From that moment the challenge for victory began:
"I remember the offending situation: we were at the exit of the chicane, and we risked an accident and to avoid it I had to swerve to the left to avoid it. Then, returning to the track, on the final straight, I made room for him and just managed my car until La Source".
Hamilton ends his defense speech here, but Niki Lauda takes his side, declaring him innocent:
"He didn't do anything wrong. Hamilton did the right thing in letting him pass and then passing him again. It was a perfect maneuver".
Not only that: for the former World Champion he is the moral winner:
"He couldn't have done better. He had perfect control of the car in the wet. He did a perfect job and won. I take my hat off and congratulate him on his race".
The controversy erupts later, in the newspaper Bild, where it brands the decision as the worst in the history of F1:
"It is unacceptable that three race commissioners influence the World Championship in this way".
And the English media?
"Conspiracy".
The Daily Mail writes.
"A robbery. Victory snatched. Shameful".
The Independent writes, which then adds:
"The penalty will be remembered as the most comical and shameful in the history of motorsports".
But Felipe Massa takes care of reminding us how things are from his blog:
"Lewis was perhaps a little too optimistic in thinking that it was enough to give back the position, even partially, to Kimi and then attack him immediately afterwards. In the drivers' briefings we always say that whoever cuts a chicane must return the position and any advantage acquired. If Lewis had done the chicane correctly, he would never have been able to attack Kimi at the end of that straight: that's my opinion".
Nothing but peace, scheduled for Thursday 11 September 2008 in Monza, at the Villa Reale. The great, eternal Ferrari-McLaren duel risks being renewed in court again this year. For goodness sake, the Maranello team had nothing to do with it. Stefano Domenicali repeats until boredom:
"We didn't appeal, not even protest. It was the judges' decision".
But the mere idea, the mere announcement of McLaren turning to the court can only take you back in time, reopen challenges and wounds that are not yet fully healed. Perhaps, as a nocturnal voice in the paddock whispers, McLaren's complaint will not even be taken into consideration, rejected, but for a few days the figures of Nigel Stepney and Mike Coughlan will return to the collective imagination, with the scandal of last season and the great sanction then imposed on McLaren. From Tuesday 9 September, until 2:00 p.m. on Thursday 11 September 2008, the world of F1 will be wondering what will happen in the former summer residence of the Austrian archdukes, what the atmosphere will be. Because they will reunite, all together, Luca Montezemolo and Ron Dennis, Frank Williams and Dietrich Mateschitz. Together they will sign, and establish, FOTA (Formula One Team Association). A representative body of the ten teams, which will have to protect everyone's interests. For this reason, a barbecue was held in the Hockenheim paddock, followed by a meeting in Maranello. The first president of the Association will be the president of Ferrari, Luca Montezemolo. For this reason we wonder if this affair could in some way hinder the great peace. But Stefano Domenicali responds: For this reason we wonder if this affair could in some way hinder the great peace. But Stefano Domenicali responds: For this reason we wonder if this affair could in some way hinder the great peace. But Stefano Domenicali responds:
"But I would say no. And why on earth? Ferrari didn't start it, it's not our problem".
The Ferrari team principal rightly shifts the discussion to the sporting part, if a duel must be on the track: FOTA will have to defend other interests, those of everyone. In short, the desire is to relive challenges like those between Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell, or between Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher. The one between Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton was also spectacular. But as Stefano Domenicali says:
"A little too much, if you will. There are attacks and attacks. That was a little extreme".