Singapore Grand Prix Preview

GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

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WELCOME TO

FINALSECTOR JOIN THE REVOLUTION EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome to the Singapore Grand Prix preview, the only full night race on the calendar. I would like to thank everyone that has submitted a article for the preview and hope that everyone enjoys reading this. This weekend we could see Sebastian Vettel retain his title but will it all come together for the young German to be crowned the youngest double world champion.

This has to be one of our best previews yet as we get better and better each preview and always trying to add new content. In this preview we have a track and city guide from a local Lisa J, we have a race review of the Italian GP and team by analysis for the upcoming grand prix.

If you have any views on this mag then be sure to let us know via twitter.com/finalsector or via our facebook.com/finalsector We love hearing from you Hope you enjoy Matt Bacon

THE EDITORIAL TEAM

THE EDITOR & DESIGNER WRITER / PROMO MATTHEW BACON

DANIEL J MORSE

GUEST WRITER

LEAD WRITER

SALES / WRITER GUEST WRITER

ROBYN BLAKE

EWAN MARSHALL

BETHANY ANDREWS

GUEST WRITER

GUEST WRITER

GUEST WRITER

GUEST WRITER

GUEST WRITER

LISA J

CHRISTINA EADES

JACK LESLIE

KRIT DWIVEDI

FINALSECTORMAG.COM

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GARY MARSHALL

HOLLY CRAIG

SINGAPORE TRACK GUIDE

61 309.316 ALONSO 1:45.599 1500 71 5.073 108,423 240 RACE DISTANCE

LAPS

FASTEST LAP

2010 WINNER

LIGHTS

GEAR CHANGES

CIRCUIT LENGTH

m

POWER CABLES

KM

STEEL PLYONS

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RACE REVIEW

By Daniel J Morse It’s the turn of monza, the home of the tifosi

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IMAGE © OCTANEPHOTOS.CO.UK

One of the fastest circuits of the season, Monza was set to be a truly exciting race. With the incredible support of the Tifosi, the ‘home’ advantage, the forecasts predicting a dry weekend and their fantastic history, Ferrari must have quite fancied their chances at this race. They did however have the pure speed of the McLarens and the ultimate aerodynamic efficiency of the Red Bulls to compete with.

Practice one was relatively quiet for the majority of the session, with only a handful of cars setting times early on. The grid took to its usual formation, with Sebastian Vettel taking the early lead on the timesheets. His time however was beaten by Lewis Hamilton who finished about one and a half seconds quicker than Vettel, and just under a second quicker than his team-mate Jenson Button. Mark Webber was closely behind his team-mate Vettel, whereas the Ferraris of Alonso and Massa were down in seventh and eighth positions respectively. HRT had a decent first practice, finishing quicker than their main rivals Marussia Virgin. Drivers had also commented about the resurfacing of the track since the last visit in 2010, and indicated that it was causing the cars to slide about on the track.

Vettel regained the top spot during practice two by just three hundredths of a second from Lewis Hamilton and under half a second separated the top seven drivers. Ferrari had found more of their much needed form to finish fourth and fifth; Massa outpacing Alonso as he has done a few times this season. The Torro-Rosso of Buemi was the first car to leave the track in this session as he crashed out while leaving the Parabolica. His car touched the outer white line coming toward the exit of the corner where Buemi lost a great deal of traction and headed straight for the tyre barrier. There was a significant amount of damage that required him to retire from the session.

In a consistent push for more pace and quicker lap times, Red Bull seemed to hit the nail on the head every time – finishing top of the practice three timesheets in a 1-2. They were closely followed by Massa’s Ferrari who set a lap about half a second quicker than Alonso to finish the session in third position. The McLarens of Lewis and Jenson finished fourth and fifth, with both Mercedes behind them – a relatively good result considering they had been struggling for consistency and pace in the previous two sessions.

Qualifying saw perfect conditions for a quick session – just what the teams needed. Shortly into the session, Maldonado took a trip to the inside barrier on the exit of Parabolica after opening his DRS a little too early, causing him to lose rear downforce which sent him veering off. He managed to make it back to the pits safely where the engineers were able to give him a new nose and front wing, and he made it back out on track. Maldonado managed to make it through to the second part of qualifying at the expense of Jaime Alguersuari, who joined the Lotus, HRT and Virgin drivers. All of the drivers completed a time within the 107% rule with Liuzzi setting the slowest time of 1:28.231.

Each of the front runners had set a quick time early on in Q2, allowing the mid-field to battle it out for the chance of getting through to the top 10 shootout. Hamilton initially set a relatively average time, and had to return to the track toward the end of Q2 on the option tyre in order to secure his position in the top 10. In a last ditch attempt at setting his best time, Bruno Senna pipped the Scotsman Paul di Resta to tenth place by six thousands of a second. Paul was told the unfortunate news on his way back to the pits, but it was also evident that Senna had a tow from Lewis Hamilton as he set his time.

Next the top 10 shootout took place to see who would be leading the field at the front of the grid for Sunday’s race. Ferrari sent out both drivers immediately in order for them to gain an advantage by the lead car providing a tow for the following car. Unfortunately this tactic didn’t work out for them and they finished fourth and sixth. McLaren looked to be quick during the session, leading the timesheets before Vettel set a very quick lap – and then beat himself, leaving just under half a second between him and Hamilton. Button achieved third place, with Alonso making up the rest of the second row. Senna chose not to set a lap in this session, so started tenth and saving him a set of option tyres.

Sunday came with beautiful weather once more, and brought with it great anticipation for the race ahead. The Tifosi out in force created a fantastic atmosphere through which their passion shone brightly. The race itself brought much excitement.

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RACE REVIEW SINGAPORE GP

Alonso was quickest off the line and managed to get up alongside Vettel and Hamilton as they raced three abreast and beat them into the first corner. Meanwhile behind this, Liuzzi came into contact with Kovalainen, touched the grass and while trying to correct his action ended up travelling sidewards into the first corner at speed. Liuzzi crashed into Petrov ricocheted into Rosberg who was alongside him, spinning both round and causing massive damage – ending all three of their races.

Barrichello and Kobayashi were also caught up in the disaster, but managed to escape with only minor damage resulting in a new front nose in the pits. Daniel Ricciardo stalled on the grid, and was wheeled back to the pits for the engineers to take a look at his car, and he eventually made it back out eight laps behind. The crash inevitably brought out the safety car while the debris and cars were cleared from the track.

Alonso led the restart, and Vettel was right on his tail. Lewis Hamilton however was caught napping, and was soon overtaken by the Mercedes of Michael Schumacher on the start straight. This was to be a disaster for Lewis, having the faster car he was stuck behind the wise Schumacher who managed to block his every attempt at overtaking. He wasn’t helped by the short gear ratio McLaren had opted for in order to match the Red Bulls on acceleration. There were various occasions however that Schumacher appeared to bully Lewis into submission and to withdraw from his attack – sometimes over the acceptable line of conduct! Schumacher just did not give Lewis the room he was entitled to, and this was acknowledged by the team who had radio communication with Michael telling him to leave room. It was obvious they wanted to be seen to be doing something about Michael’s behaviour, instead of the stewards needing to become involved.

On lap five, there was a coming together of the Ferrari of Felipe Massa and the Red Bull of Mark Webber, with Mark losing his front wing and later in the lap his race. Without the front wing, he just did not have the downforce to make it around the Parabolica, and ended up in the barrier – ending his race. As if karma was ever present, the other Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel however had completely the opposite in terms of luck – managing to get alongside Alonso on the outside of Curva Grande, and passing him into the third corner. The acceleration of the Red Bulls could not be matched by the Ferrari and Alonso had no choice but to somewhat yield the position.

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IMAGE © OCTANEPHOTOS.CO.UK

RACE REVIEW SINGAPORE GP

Hamilton, after being stuck behind Schumacher for eight laps had a great exit out of Parabolica, and overtook Schumacher on the start straight and into turn one, only to not close the door to Michael and be re-overtaken into Curva Grande! Button meanwhile was happily sat just behind these two fighting for third position. A few laps later, Lewis appeared to have a clear run past Schumacher into Curva Grande, but Michael slammed the door, forcing Lewis out onto the grass! Lewis managed to keep control of the car, albeit with a little less momentum after leaving the track and having to lift, and Button drove clean past him with Schumacher next in his sights. Button kept his momentum going and managed to overtake Schumacher into the first chicane. Shortly after, and after complaining about rear tyre degradation, Schumacher pitted.

Button pitted soon after Michael, and maintained his position ahead, whereas Lewis ended up staying behind the German after his stop.

Half way through the race, and Vettel was unstoppable. Ever increasing his lead over Alonso, who had Button for company, who themselves had a fine lead over fourth place Michael Schumacher and fifth place Lewis Hamilton – who by this point was becoming more frustrated at the antics of the seven time world champion. Into the last chicane of lap 28, Hamilton had an excellent run at Schumacher, and took the position in what seemed like a very easy move.

The commitment of Jenson Button, and the constant pushing of Alonso helped Button reap the rewards as he had better traction out of the first corner, overtaking Alonso for second position. Alonso tried to keep up with Button, but Button was pulling away each lap. This gave Lewis Hamilton the chance he needed, with a bit of encouragement from his team, to chase and close the gap to Alonso.

With six laps to go, Senna overtook Buemi with a brave move into the first corner, taking the inside position. Buemi tried to defend, but was obviously out-manoeuvred. Hamilton was about six seconds behind Alonso, and catching him quickly.

With only three laps to go, the gap was just two seconds.

Lewis then really seemed to turn it on, taking out over a second in the last couple of laps from Alonso, and setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 53. He continued to close Alonso on the final lap, and was just a few tenths behind going into the Parabolica, but a slight oversteer meant that his chances were gone. Lewis settled for fourth position by just half a second, which considering his form over the past few years at Monza is quite commendable.

Vettel went on to win the race, ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button in second, Alonso in third and Hamilton in fourth. Force India’s Paul di Resta finished in a very amicable eighth place, and Kovalainen in 13th – one of the teams best finishes.

Alguersuari had a great race and ended up in seventh position – gaining 11 positions through the race.

It was a race where everybody seemed to win; Red Bull won the race, McLaren gained some very valuable points – especially Lewis Hamilton who hasn’t finished here for a while, and the Tifosi managed to see their team on the podium. A few exciting but unfortunate events meant some didn’t make it as far as they may have wanted to, but that’s racing.

THE PODIUM

IMAGE © OCTANEPHOTOS.CO.UK

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THE FINAL

IMAGE

webber on the option tyres, charging to try and catch his team mate. Š octanephotos.co.uk

TEAM BY TEAM

UPDATES

BY ROBYN BLAKE

FERRARI FORCE INDIA HRT F1 TEAM LOTUS RENAULT MCLAREN MERCEDES GP RED BULL SAUBER TEAM LOTUS TORO ROSSO VIRGIN RACING WILLIAMS F1 11 / FINALSECTORMAG.COM

© OCTANEPHOTOS.CO.UK

FERRARI

With Alonso now being the closest driver to Vettel, the team are focusing on getting him onto the podium to ensure the title hunt continues to Japan. Last season Alonso was able to take it to the last race thanks to a well timed win here, and if they wish to stretch the chase out, they must hit the ground running on Friday. They may have conceded the title and ceased development of the F150째 Italia, but they will want to make it as difficult as possible for Red Bull.

FORCE INDIA

The team took advantage of a straightline test to evaluate a new aerodynamic package that is to be used for the trip to Singapore. It gave Max Chilton, a GP2 driver a chance to drive his first F1 car and Force India the opportunity to gather the data needed to progress through further along their programme. With the flyaway sector about to start, they are in the fight with Sauber and Toro Rosso for seventh place.

HRT F1 TEAM

More upgrades are expected to be tested by the team during practice, and these are focused on improving the aerodynamic performance via an altered engine cover and a new underfloor to get them closer to their closest rivals. Ricciardo is another driver who will be embarking on his first lap of the Singapore circuit.

LOTUS RENAULT

They may have just been granted clearance for a new simulator, but the team are anxious ahead of the race in Singapore regarding their performance. With a nature similar to Monaco and Hungary, low speed but high downforce, the team are concerned whether their recently improved results will continue. The drivers efforts will be aided by implementing the second phase of of upgrades they began in Italy.

MCLAREN

Whitmarsh is looking to DRS to be one of the deciding factors in determining how exciting the race will be in Singapore, he's also placing his faith in the desire of his drivers to take the championship fight to the very end. And with Button and Hamilton being some of the few to beat Vettel, they know exactly what they need to have in their arsenal to do so.

MERCEDES GP

Looking to move past the controversial stewards decision, or lack thereof, and a premature exit both Schumacher and Rosberg, the team included will be looking to bounce back. Similar to Renault they will be checking to see of the gain in performance they experienced in the last two European races, were a true reflection of their general improvement. Or that the fast nature of those particular track suit the set up of their car.

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RED BULL

Vettel is in the enviable position of being able to clinch the driver's title this weekend if his race goes to plan, considering that he's only spent one Sunday off the podium his chances look good. If Vettel wins, Alonso has to finish on the podium to keep the title chase alive, but if the Spaniard doesn't make the top three Button or Webber must finish in second. The team have denied they've already prepared celebrations, despite contrary reports suggesting they've already printed up the celebratory apparel.

SAUBER

Like all other teams Sauber will be running a high downforce package, but the team will also be working on the mechanical grip to make the most of the preferred compounds, of soft and super soft that Pirelli will be providing. The continuation of the development of new engine maps that they started in Monza will be on the schedule during practice. Like Mercedes, they will be intent on recovering the points they felt were due in Italy.

TEAM LOTUS

Last year Kovalainen's use of a fire extinguisher won them the LG Moment of the Year, but this year they are looking to avoid such a display and have a strong finish. Physicality isn't an issue for the two drivers, with both relishing the challenge the tough conditions bring. For the team, they will be arriving in Singapore with a new floor to test as a part of their maximum downforce package.

TORO ROSSO

Following a successful double points finish at their home race, the team still have their sights set on overhauling Sauber and Force India before the season ends for seventh place. With neither driver having a 2012 contract to secure their seats for next year, both will be looking to take advantage of the race pace they've recently uncovered, though this discovered will be tested by tough conditions on track.

VIRGIN RACING

The choice to leave some of the team behind in Italy allowed a straightline test to be completed to optimise the upgrades they brought for the last race, John Booth described the test as 'extremely beneficial'. Buoyed by their improvement the team are looking for further performance and believe there is some more to be found.

WILLIAMS Having just missed out on the points in Italy, the team are looking to more upgrades to help move them up the team standings. Traditionally they have performed well in Singapore, and will be testing an upgraded diffuser and a new front wing on Friday. For Maldonado this will not only be his first time driving this circuit, but it will also be his first night race, however his penchant for street tracks should serve him well. This will be Sam Michael's last race as Williams' Technical Director.

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SINGAPORE GP

TRACK // CITY GUIDE

BY LISA J

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IMAGE © GETTY IMAGES

The much coveted and highly anticipated event or better known as the Crown of the Formula 1 Grand Prix Race is finally here and much buzz has been created around it.

The newly created circuit created in 2008 is certainly a city circuit with a little glamour on the side. This city has never seen such fervor and frenzied enthusiasts flooding the circuits but come 23rd September 2011, all this will come true.

As a local Singaporean with my tickets tucked safely away till the grand day, I am happy to share with you the vantage points to catch all the action and what you may do here when you’re in Singapore. This tiny red dot island is fun-packed during the Grand Prix season and more often than not, leading to a hangover or jelly-legs on the following Monday after the race day.

IMAGE © GETTY IMAGES

For the discerning and glamorous, Paddock Club or Corporate Hospitality boasts one of the most fantastic views with exciting frills of brushing shoulders with famous faces. Located within the Pit Building Complex on Republic Boulevard on the 2nd and 3rd stories, it provides amazing views directly over the race garages, pit lane and start/finish straight.

For the rest of us that prefers the simple things in life, Pit Grandstand, situated right opposite the team garages may very well be the next best thing. Boasts one of the best view of starting grid and finishing line, the ticketholder is in excellent position to enjoy heart-stopping action and first-hand adrenaline rush. Oh, it’s also where you will be able to witness the crowning of a champion (let’s make a guess who).

I have been told some of the Turn 1 or Turn 2 grandstands boast spectacular views, but honestly, if you’d like some buzz on your own or with some group of friends or rather, be on a tight budget, you can certainly walk-about the circuit and make sure to position yourself to all the corners. I can bet you this city circuit will see some crazy action and accidents. Nevertheless, Turn 1, Turn 2 is also another vantage point that you may want to consider.

After all, this is where you can the prowess and skill of a racer. As the driver jostle for the best position at Turn 1 after the flag-off, ticketholders will be treated to a heart-pounding action as racers brake at the 1st corner at about 80-90km/h after a crazy neck-breaking speed of about 280km/h along the pit straight. I am sure we remembered Mark Webber’s hitting the barrier at Turn 2 in 2009, which results in his DNF.

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Wherever you are located during the race, I am sure you will find so much fun from this night race (Excuse the Asian heat). It’s the only night race with loads of action and entertainment to pack a punch. Don’t forget the after-party – Be Out and Be Seen! Grand Prix entertainment starts with the glittering Marina Bay Sands Avalon GO! Party with LMFAO, Ludacris, Sander Van Doorn headlining.

Head over to Amber Lounge Party to rub shoulders and smiles with the racers (Massa was caught with a cheery smile and even cheery beer on hand last time!) – In short, Go Have Fun!

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Now, when you are in Singapore, it’s never complete without a stroll through its miles and miles of shopping centers. Head down to Orchard Road shopping belt where it will amaze you with the endless shopping malls after malls. Gentleman, if you are looking to treat the lady with a little gift or make her happy – This trip is a necessity! As one of Asia’s shopping hub, you should really bask in the spirit of shopping and stroll down in the afternoon or evening, stopping by for a cuppa tea or ice cold beer and admire this tiny island with it’s vibrant and electricity in the air, all in the good spirit of the Grand Prix.

If you are an ardent shuffler and party-goer, head down to Clarke Quay for some Saturday/Sunday night fun. Sporting some of the best clubs in town, Clarke Quay has an array of bars and clubs to satisfy even the most discerning. Bar-hop, club-hop or catch the Grand Prix action on the live screen with an ice cold beer on hand – Utter bliss! Oh, and transport is never an issue!

Cabs are always a flag down away. Just be careful to not drink and drive.

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If you are looking for something of a gastronomical and mind-blowing element on a Sunday to start your day right before Race night, head down to many of the hotel buffet for some sumptuous Sunday Brunch. My personal favorite and this is not a direct endorsement, Fullerton Hotel Sunday Brunch, which is right smack on Turn 13. In any case, head down to the local restaurants and bars for some good morning grub before exploring the track the morning after. It’s a sight to behold.

Oh, and don’t forget to wear your favorite team shirt! See you in Singapore Formula 1 2011 Night Grand Prix!

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IMAGE © GETTY IMAGES

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THE HISTORY OF

SINGAPORE GP

BY HOLLY CRAIG

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IMAGE © GETTY IMAGES

ARTICLE SINGAPORE GP

In September 2008, the sun set over the city of Singapore, making way for the start of the Inaugural ‘Formula 1 SingTel Grand Prix’. The Marina bay circuit was illuminated by an endless stream of lights making history as the first ever night race – this was not however, the first time the Great Prizes was contested for here.

The city held an annual street race for 13 years before it was discontinued due to a government enforced ban. In line with a national tourism promotion in 1961 the ‘Orient Year Grand Prix’ was held on the ‘Old Thomson road’ street circuit and the following few years the race was held under the title of ‘Malaysian Grand Prix’ due to Singapore still being part of the Malaysian federation. Full independence was declared in August 1965 and the first named ‘Singapore Grand Prix’ took place in 1966 and ran until 1973. This means that depending on your perception this year could actually be the 4th, 12th or even 17th Singapore Grand Prix.

The 20th century Grand Prix's in Singapore typically ran to 'Formula Libre' regulations alongside Australian Formula 2 rules. For those of you unfaunfa miliar with the term, 'Formula Libre' or 'Formule Libre' this translates as 'free formula' and it refers to a class of automobile racing that allows a variety of purpose built racing cars of many types, models and ages to compete head to head. The 'Formula' in Formula One refers to a set of rules that participants and cars have to adhere to and in Singapore's Formula Libre races the only stringent regulations in place related to basics such as team safety equipment. With such a lack of ground rules in place the class allowed for some eventful racing and has proved to be a good test of drivers talent versus the capability of the cars.

Such freedom on the racetrack has encouraged some interesting match-ups in the past and provides an inlet for drivers of many genres and the opportunity for some compelling driving performances. Formula Libre races were used as the programme closers in many of the 70's British Club meetings, allowing cars that did not sit in any of the categories that day to run but also giving the drivers from the featured series that day another chance to race. A class with such variety and excitement allowed drivers to express themselves freely on the race-track, however as races could lead towards being a bit of a 'free for all' incidents and accidents in Formula Libre were commonplace.

Prior to Singapore achieving independence plans were put in place by Singapore motor club and with no permanent race circuit available, a temporary track layout was mapped out near to the nature reserve at the heart of the island. The 'Thomson road' Grand Prix circuit was 4.865 km (3.023 miles) long and took in 2 district sections of the city encompassing the dense woodlands of 'Upper Thomson road' to the north of the city centre. The mixture of high speed and high breaking areas that the track design encouraged meant that riveting race action was a certainty. By the mid 60's crowds at the event had risen to over 100,000 people on race day alone, this coupled with increasing sponsorship and advertising deals - the Singapore Grand Prix was becoming a worthy earner.

The circuit took a clockwise direction starting out along a 1 mile stretch famously referred to as the 'Thomson mile' with a kink halfway through known as the 'hump' which regularly propelled vehicles into the air banking towards an immediate hairpin bend. Leading on into a series of 4 bends and a rounded v-bend which were ominously named 'Snakes' and 'Devils', this required an immense amount of driver skill. Driving through the 3rd 'long loop' section of the track was notorious for adding stress to cars engines as they met with the left turn at 'peak bend' towards the downhill path to 'range hairpin'- an area where spectators were privy to the full view of the race. A hard right placed drivers back onto the 'Thomson mile' passing 'signal pits' to the finish line.

The layout brought many complaints from drivers, a common cause for concern was the lack of run-off areas as the cars navigated past lampposts, bus-stops and monsoon drains along the city streets. The circuit was often slick from the year round treads of diesel-fuelled vehicles and the fast sweeping corners of 'Devils Bend' and complexes like 'Snakes' were frequent accident spots. Even by the standards of the era, racing this circuit was both a terrifying and exhilarating experience. The first 'Singapore' Grand Prix's were won by local heroes Lee Han Seng (1966) and Rodney Seow (1967) before, due to its increasing popularity the race began to attract leading drivers from Australia and New Zealand. The most successful driver on the 'Thomson road' circuit was Graeme Lawrence of New Zealand who claimed wins there in 1969, 1970 and 1971.

An interesting fact is that Graeme Lawrence won the 1969 'Singapore Grand Prix' in a McLaren Ford - a feat matched by Lewis Hamilton who won the 'F1 Singapore Grand Prix' exactly 40 years later in his McLaren-Mercedes. Stranger still, Lawrence then obtained his second 'Singapore Grand Prix' victory in 1970 with Ferrari - Fernando Alonso won 'his' second 'F1 Singapore Grand Prix' exactly 40 years later, again with Ferrari. Of course this is simply a nice co-incidence for the teams and unless a Brabham-Ford re-emerges to win the F1 Grand Prix in 2011, that is where the pattern ends.

The Question is, with the Singapore Grand Prix at its most popular with earnings at an all-time high in 1973, why did the government impose a motor-racing ban? Many reasons have been published as to why the Singapore government chose to put an end to the race including the oil crisis of 1973 and other economic issues such as the higher volume of traffic and the increased difficulty of closing city roads. In my mind the main reason is unfortunately straight forward - the 'Thomson road' street circuit was not safe. Graeme Lawrence himself was noted to have described the Thomson Road circuit as 'one of the most dangerous in the world'. Serious accidents at this circuit were frequent and claimed the lives of racers and road marshalls alike. Fatal crashes in 1972 and 1973 sealed the races fate and it was subsequently banned as the government feared that it promoted reckless driving amongst civilians. In the government press release it was noted that 7 deaths occurred over the 11 years of racing at Thomson road and that as the drastic improvements needed to increase the circuits safety were unachievable, the government was unable to condone this potentially deadly race continuing. The 1973 Singapore Grand Prix was won by Vern Schuppen, an Australian driver who went on to pursue a part-time career in Formula One. Following this, the Singapore street race disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.

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Following the ban few could have expected that the city streets of Singapore would ever be reverberating to the sound of race engines ever again. Over time, greatly helped along by the modern day standards of health and safety and sustainability, the governments feelings of negativity towards motor-racing eased. The Singapore tourist board expressed deep regret over the racing ban and seeing the 'Malaysian Grand Prix' at Sepang increase in both revenue and popularity year on year, they worked closely with the Singapore government to see the ban overturned in late 2005. Like every city in the world with a racing legacy Singapore has its fair share of motorsports fans and so began the dream that became a reality in the form of the first ever 'Formula One Singtel Grand Prix' Singapore, September 2008. When proposals were put forward attached with extensive government funding and lucrative sponsorship deals already in place, it truly was an offer too good for Bernie Ecclestone to refuse. The race was to be held at night to maximise the viewing audience in Europe and this in itself added a new, exciting element to the Formula One world championship calendar.

When you ask someone to describe Singapore as a city, common terms that are used will include 'clean' and 'well-ordered' -descriptions that cannot be used in relation to the racing we have seen at the Marina Bay circuit so far! This weekend, amongst all the glitz, glamour and anticipation, as the start lights go on, spare a moments thought for the lates, greats and pioneers who helped lay the foundations to making racing in Singapore the unique spectacle that it is today.

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IMAGE Š MERCEDES GP

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It’s competition time, and our first ever one at that! Thanks to our friends at Slick Attire, you have the chance to get your hands on some seriously cool retro t-shirts. All you have to do is tell us what Flavio Briatore is talking about with Christian Horner in this picture.

Send your suggestions to gary.marshall@finalsectormag.com, the competition closes on Monday 26th at midday.

The winner will receive a t-shirt of their choice from Slick Attire with second place receiving a £15 voucher and a £10 voucher for third. The editors decision is final and no alternative prizes/cash are offered.

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Singapore GP Words: Gary Marshall Photo: Š Marussia Virgin Racing

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PREVIEW SINGAPORE GP

Round 14 of the FIA Formula 1 world championship in Singapore sees the paddock go all nocturnal for the race weekend as 1,500 halogen lights illuminate the street circuit as F1 gears up for its first and only night race. The Marina Bay street circuit has seen more than its fair share of controversy since its inclusion to the calendar in 2008, but this year it could see the re-crowning of Sebastian Vettel as World champion. With Red Bulls’ chief rivals, McLaren and Ferrari, all but admitting defeat and turning their focus towards their 2012 cars, only Vettel’s team-mate, Mark Webber, can realistically prolong his wait for the title. Aussie Webber, however, is involved in a four way fight for second, “I enjoy driving there, so I hope to nail it this year in much the same way that I nailed Valencia earlier this season. In the championship, four of us – me, Fernando, Jenson and Lewis – are separated by just 14 points and none of us is going to give an inch."

At McLaren, both Hamilton and Button are both looking to add to their tally of two race wins apiece as they look to spit the Red Bull’s in the driver’s championship and to cement the teams second place in the constructors championship. Button is the in-form man at McLaren, with a string of strong performances in recent races. The Frome Flyer has proven time and time again that when it comes to overtaking, he is the ‘pass master’. He admitted after the Italian Grand Prix that he closed his eyes when passing Alonso around the outside into the Ascari chicane and that he’ll do that more often! Team principle, Martin Whitmarsh is looking forward to the unique challenge of the Marina Bay circuit and the chances for his two charges to bag a win, "At Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, the reality is that we're fortunate enough to have two drivers who are never satisfied to merely sit behind another car; but the addition of DRS means that we should expect some truly electrifying racing this weekend. The track is wide enough to support close and exciting wheel-to-wheel racing and I sincerely hope that's what we see this weekend.” He added, "In just a few years, the Singapore Grand Prix has become a classic Formula 1 event – the circuit and facilities are truly world-class and the setting and atmosphere of the race make it one of the jewels of the calendar.”

Further down the pit lane, there will be a close eye kept on the Williams hospitality suites after revelations that Adrian Sutil and 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen were spotted at the teams factory in Grove recently, growing speculation that veteran Rubens Barrichello will have to look elsewhere to compete in his 20th season in Formula 1. As Williams on track woes continue, outgoing Technical Director, Sam Michael, is hoping that another batch of upgrades will enable him to leave the team with a strong points finish in Singapore. Michael, who leaves the team after this weekend’s race said, “Singapore has all the challenges, for both the drivers and engineers, of a classic street race, but with the addition of it also being held at night. There is a large improvement in track grip as the race weekend progresses. There are also more bumps and kerbs to deal with compared to normal and downforce is set to a maximum. Good traction with minimal understeer are always the focus of the car set-up here. We have an upgraded diffuser and a new front wing assembly for the first of the flyaways. We'll test both of them on Friday.”

The inaugural Singapore Grand Prix will forever be remembered for the crashgate scandal, the ramificati ons of which still haunt the Renault team. Loss of sponsors, Renault selling the team and the current owners (Genii Capital) struggling to find a competitive budget for next year aren’t helped by the fact that the R31 has struggled on the slower, twisty circuits, characteristics’ shared by the Marina Bay circuit. "Monaco and Hungary were not good races for us and Singapore shares some characteristics of these two circuits," he said.

"We feel we have improved things since then and we have a bit more to deliver for Singapore itself, but it is fair to say that I am apprehensive.” Said Technical Director, James Allison, "However, if we do have a good race then we will be set for good performances in the five races that follow, as we will then have shown imim proved performance on three very different tracks."

Pirelli will provide the teams with its soft (yellow) and super soft (red) tyres for the weekend, this combination of tyre choice saw a huge variety in pit stop strategies in Monaco and the rain affected race in Canada. Pirelli Motorsports boss, Paul Hembery said, "As we've seen in the past, particularly in Canada, the combination of soft and supersoft tyres provides plenty of opportunities for the teams to put in place some interesting strategies, with the supersoft in particular expected to provide an appreciable performance advantage. The free practice sessions in Singapore will be crucial, as the teams assess the effect of each of our tyres on their

set-ups and overall speed."

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ARTICLE SINGAPORE GP

The Marina Bay Singapore night circuit race has become a much loved event in the Formula One calendar due to its ability to cause desperate racing and stunning mistakes of monumental levels. It is by no means the circuit’s fault that in 2008, 34 years after the last race was held in 1974 the event was going to be one of the most controversial in F1 to date.

Although not until the year after was the true fate of the race discovered. Yet that is only one of many accidents.

The practice sessions were somewhat of a no man’s land with the driver’s having little or no experience of the circuit as most wouldn’t have been alive let alone racing at the time of the original race. Jarno Trulli became the first driver to fall victim to the circuit when he spun his Toyota and travelled up the pit lane the wrong way, with the FIA seeing fit to fine him €10,000 for the pleasure. Similarly Rubens Barichello was fined the same amount for unsafe entry into the pit lane during qualifying.

Here’s where the controversial point of 2008 began, lap 17 Nelson Piquet Jr, Fernando Alonso’s teammate, crashed blaming the tyres. Of course everyone saw this as perfectly normal and the safety car was deployed. We have later discovered that he was asked to perform that incident to provide Alonso with the win, not so clever Piquet. Another member of the Singapore 2008 mistake club is Felipe Massa, after Scuderia Ferrari released him early and he drove down the pit lane with the fuel hose still attached, only to have to wait patiently at the end. However he still managed to come home in 13th place, albeit out of 14 racers left.

The bad luck continued for Felipe Massa at the circuit in 2009 as he was unable to participate due to injuries sustained at the Hungarian grand prix. The meaning being even greater as he had been the pole sitter only the year before.

Since the first race back the track improvements extended the circuit by six metres. Due to the sensitive nature of Renault’s last win their sponsors ING and Mutua Madrileña pulled out effective immediately, the stickers were removed from the cars of Fernando Alonso and Romain Grosjean.

In typical Singapore fashion the practice sessions were red flagged due to drivers crashing at difficult parts of the circuit, such as Grosjean displaying similarities to his predecessor Piquet Jr. Qualifying became the third session out of all four run during the weekend so far to be red flagged. This time in the form of Ruben’s Barichello’s Brawn GP, the session was yellow flagged in the midst of the last qualifying session followed by a red 26 seconds from the end, needless to say there was no time left to set another lap up.

The start of the race began without much fuss as everyone travelled through the first lap carefully. However, Nico Rosberg suffered a drive through penalty on lap 20 for crossing the white line on his exit from the pit lane. This was to be the first of a few penalties. Sebastian Vettel faced the other in race penalty after speeding down the pit lane during his pit stop phase.

Before this Vettel had been challenging for a strong position, maybe even a podium but with a drive through penalty and damage to the underside of his car Vettel finished just off the podium in fourth. Adrian Sutil was handed a post race fine due to “dangerous driving” unlike in 2008 this fine came at the price of $20,000 as he wiped out Nick Heidfeld.

2010 Singapore GP was subject to a lot of driver change, Heidfeld came in for Pedro de la Rosa just weeks after becoming Pirelli’s test driver. All of the new teams faced replacing drivers, with Hispania racing team test driver Christian Klien standing in for Sakon Yamamoto who was suffering from food poisoning, Jerome d’Ambrosio for Lucas Di Grassi at Marussia Virgin and Fairuz Fauzy for Jarno Trulli at Lotus for first practice.

Marina Bay has not been a kind circuit to Adrian Sutil as he faced another fine for dangerous driving during second practice in 2010. Though the crash was due to weather conditions as well as his driving, Sutil’s attempts to get the broken car back to the pit lane was deemed unsafe. Sutil was not the only one to take a penalty as Alonso had used up his allocation of engines and took a five place grid drop, as did Nico Hulkenberg for a gearbox change. Felipe Massa also fell victim to a penalty after a gear box fault in qualifying one, due to him failing to set a time he started at the back so the penalty was nullified.

The race was once more scattered with accidents and retirement of various severity. Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber’s coming together caused the highest profile incident with Hamilton retiring with suspension damage. Another key moment that will be remembered by most fans was Heikki Kovalainen putting his engulfed car out himself, hence the reason for Kovalainen being given a firemen’s hat the next race by the media. Unexpectedly Fernando Alonso won the race for a second time, though by only a small margin of two hundredths of a second to Sebastian Vettel.

Overall Singapore is bound to deliver a few accidents, multiple fines and hopefully an exciting race, though it may not be able to follow that of Monza. Fans should look out for Adrian Sutil receiving a hatrick of fines, only 14 drivers finishing like 2008 and 2009 and Alonso running away with the win. All these things are entirely possible, but Sebastian Vettel remains on top form to win yet again.

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The 2010 European Grand Prix will go down in everyone’s memories, as a race containing one of the most jaw dropping crashes in the Modern F1 Era. Mark Webber was on the run to turn 13, the fastest part of the circuit, and was using the tow and back marker Heikki Kovalianen. The closing speed and braking of the Lotus launched Webber over the top of the Lotus, sending him skywards, upside down before hitting the barrier.

The start saw Hamilton get past Webber off the line, and touched with Vettel at the first corner. The SC came out on lap 9 after Webber’s incident, with Hamilton getting ahead of the SC before the line, so received a penalty later in the race, but Alonso’s fury burned even more as he emerged still in 2nd. Vettel won ahead of Hamilton, Button, Barrichello, Kubica, Sutil and a racy Kobayashi, with late overtakes bumping Alonso and Buemi down to 8th and 9th. The top 10 was rounded out by Rosberg

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The 2008 Singapore Grand Prix was not only the 800th F1 race, but the first night race. Fernando Alonso won but only because it was found in 2009 Renault had ordered their 2nd driver Piquet Jnr to crash on purpose, to bring out the SC, which Alonso benefited from a free pit stop and moved up the order.

Felipe Massa was on pole. The order stayed the same, until Piquet crashed on lap 14, bringing out the SC. Many drivers pitted, with race leader Massa pulling away from his grid box with the fuel hose still attached, losing him time and the lead.

Some drivers benefitted, however Rosberg and Kubica, from the top 5, received penalties for pitting in a 'closed' pit lane as Trulli and Alonso moved to 1st and 2nd. Trulli pitted so Alonso was in the lead, and it finished with Alonso leading home Rosberg, Hamilton, Glock, Vettel, Heidfield, Coulthard and Nakajima.

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The 2010 Monaco Grand Prix finished with a win for Webber, becoming the first Australian to win it since 1959, and because it was a race full of incident and controversy.

The race saw Webber on pole from Kubica and Vettel. Vettel overtook Kubica at turn 1. The first lap saw Nico Hulkenberg crash in the tunnel, after front wing failure. During the resulting SC period Button retired after a bung was left over an air intake, overheating his engine.

The SC came in and the racing began again. Both Saubers and both Virgin cars retired and soon after on lap 30, Barrichello crashed on the run to Massenet after a drain cover broke his suspension. The SC led to Webbers lead being reduced. It was back out with marshals inspected the drain cover, but deemed it safe leading to another restart for Webber.

Chandhok and Trulli crashed after an ambitious move by Trulli saw him going over the HRT, narrowly missing Karuns head. This was right in front of Webber, costing him time. Webber led the restart, and crossed the line ahead of Vettel, Kubica, Massa and Hamilton with Alonso, Rosberg, Sutil, Liuzzi and Buemi behind. Schumacher was 7th but overtook Alonso at the final corner, it was deamed illegal leading to a penalty.

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i“™“ ) “0 (“ ) '“ “ )“ 0 ) “) “ '' '“ The 2008 Monaco Grand Prix was the win Lewis Hamilton had waited a year for, after coming so close in 2007. Frequent showers drenched the tarmac before the start, with Massa roaring into turn 1 ahead of Hamilton and Raikkonen. The first laps saw no change, until lap 6 when Hamilton hit the barrier at Tabac, and pitted with a puncture. He dropped to 5th. Massa led by 12 seconds from Raikkonen,before the SC came out after Coulthard and Bourdais crashed at Massenet, just moments between them.

After 3 laps it came in, with Raikkonen having a drive through penalty. Massa went off at Sainte Devote gifting the lead to Kubica, before they pitted, leaving Hamilton leading. His lead increased from 13 seconds to 37 before stopping for dry tyres, Massa had dropped behind Kubica after his stop. A SC period on lap 62 after Rosberg hit the barriers, on both sides at the Swimming pool complex reduced Hamilton’s lead. It came in leaving Hamilton to win his first Monaco Gp win, ahead of Kubica, Massa, Webber, Vettel, Barrichello, Nakajima and Kovalainen.

It was also a race which showed promise for Adrian Sutil, running 6th he was hit by RaikkoRaikko nen on lap 67 meaning he was out, while Raikkonen recovered to 9th.

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The 2004 Monaco Grand Prix was one of the highlights of the 2004 season, with Jarno Trulli taking his first and only Formula One win followed by Jenson Button 0.360 seconds behind.

At the Start Alonso got past Button for 2nd.On the third lap Sato, running 4th, had an engine failure, leading to Gincarlo Fisichella bouncing off David Coulthards Mclaren and rolling upside down into a barrier. The SC came out but went in on the 8th lap.

Alonso, running 2nd was lapping Ralf Schumacher in the tunnel, got onto the marbles, and into the barrier. The SC came out, but then Schumacher slowed suddenly in the tunnel, Montoya dived for the first space available, the inside. Schumacher then turned into Montoya, unaware, and got turned into the barrier, and he was out.

The SC came in, with Button in 2nd behind Trulli. Rubens Barrichello was 3rd for Ferrari with Montoya in 4th. Massa, Da Matta’s Toyota, Heidfield’s Jordan and Panis’s Toyota were all 1 lap down.

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IMAGE © MERCEDES GP

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Scratch away the monopolistic championship picture or the ensuing debate over the use of manipulative overtaking devices and the stand out story of this season has undoubtedly been the recent results of Michael Schumacher.

It is hard to believe that only a handful of months ago there was considerable pressure calling for his head; that it was time for him to hang his helmet up for good.

Granted this season has been far from perfect and the German will likely allude to this come December, however there have been considerable highs and signs that there is still life in the old dog yet.

Of course the seven-time champion has benefitted massively from the steps made forward by Mercedes during the majority of the European season, such as the re-profiling of the W-02’s exhausts to exit over the diffuser.

But this upturn in form has been largely statistical and not simply born out of upgrading to machinery. In truth Schumacher has always been solid since returning but has not always had the chance to show it.

Yes there have been some controversial moments – from driving BarBar richello up against the wall last year in Hungary to his defensive driving from Hamilton last time out – but there have also been occasions where he has been on the pace of or even stronger than his younger teammate Nico Rosberg.

Nevertheless there are still areas which are in need of improvement if he is to ensure that he continues to silence the critics.

Certainly many would point to his efforts over a single lap, which has landed him outside the top ten shoot out on no fewer than five occasions this season. Even so, his qualifying performances have steadily improved throughout the year and have never been as disappointing as those for the best part of 2010.

Instead Schumacher’s greatest weakness has been the habit of handicapping himself during the race – most notably while dicing with other drivers.

This was apparent in Valencia where he qualified merely hundredths off his team-mate, only to foolishly mistime the exit of his pitstop and collide with Renault’s Vitaly Petrov - damaging his front wing. Thereafter the German largely matched the sister Mercedes on lap time, but was powerless to mount any serious recovery drive on a circuit with little history of overtaking and any serious assistance from the DRS. A fortnight later he was once again forced to pit for a new nose cone after sliding into Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi; a move which resulted in stewards handing him a ten-second stop and go penalty for his troubles.

Once more the seven-time champion was placed on the back foot, but reacted impressively to climb up through the field to ninth – a mere seventeen seconds behind his team-mate at the flag.

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Therefore, while Schumacher’s inability to stay of trouble has often drawn criticism and left those concerned wondering what might have been, it has not been enough suggest that he should quit at the end of the year.

Thankfully such inconsistencies appear to have subsided in recent events; replaced with a sturdier approach to both qualifying and race craft.

Barring retirement in Hungary and qualifying in Belgium – both of which were through no fault of his own – there has been a renewed air of confidence around his driving style; a new belief in himself and vigour to help maximise any opportunities presented over the remainder of the season.

And if last season is anything to go by Schumacher should find himself well positioned to score consistent points and capitalise on the misfortune of the front runners – rounding off the final races of 2010 with some strong performances, most notably in Japan and Korea.

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While it would maybe be one step too far to suggest that Schumacher is capable to fight for another title, it would be wrong to write him off for podiums and even race wins should Mercedes deliver a stronger package next season.

Until then the German will be hoping that the current trend continues so that his comeback will be regarded as largely successful rather than regretful.

Certainly many of the inadequacies at the Brackley-based outfit were merely masked during its championship winning year and this has continued to hang over the team even after its subsequent takeover.

However, under the leadership of Ross Brawn and with the blessing of Stuttgart, motions are already in place to rectify the team’s weaknesses and ensure that 2012’s creation is fast straight out of the blocks.

Time will tell if this will lead to success, however as long as Schumacher continues to enjoy his racing there is no doubt that he will be part of the set up for next season and possibly beyond.

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ARTICLE SINGAPORE GP

Electric atmosphere, an awesome setting and an extremely challenging circuit. When people think of Singapore as a race, they often think of the glitz and glamour, the 1600 lights three times brighter than stadiums illuminating a setting viewed from the vantage point of a corporate penthouse atop a skyscraper. What I love about Singapore is how it can do all that, yet give us what's numero uno - exciting and exhilarating racing. This article covers the unique challenges Singapore presents and how only the very bestdrivers are able to overcome them to relish victory. Marina Bay gives drivers a true trial by fire and differences between team mates are often over a second.

The first challenge is one of time, and not the traditional race against the clock to post the fastest lap time. The race follows the European round and offers a huge time shift to deal with - quarter of a day or six hours to be precise. This disrupts your body clock and gives you quite a jet lag to deal with, having being nice and cosy in Europe for the last six months. Teams adapt their working schedule, waking up at mid day and working until 4AM in the early morning. The race itself starts at 8PM local time whilst celebrations keep going long after midnight.

The second challenge is acclimatising to the weather which would even test Kimi 'Iceman' Räikkönen's cool. From the pleasant Spa and the glorious sunshine of Monza, you come to the muggy, humid heat of Singapore where 30°C and upwards of 90 percent humidity is practically a guarantee. Drivers need to keep their core body temperature cool and whilst they wear ice vests in Monza, they literally take the air conditioning unit used normally for cooling the sideside pods of their car, into their cockpit. The grand prix itself coincides with the end of the second, southwest monsoon season so rain showers are possible in the late afternoon, often affecting the practice sessions. Once water is dispersed around the track, it often stays there thanks to high humidity and no sunlight. Everyone knows water on the track makes negotiating it more tricky but possible reflections from the lights into crucial braking points makes it even harder. Any slip up and it's a date with the solid concrete walls which will most certainly end your session.

"It is a very physical circuit, more than I expected actually. You need to put a lot of work into the car to get a good lap. I would say it requires double the energy of Monaco over a single lap. One lap around here is like two laps around Monaco." - Lewis Hamliton The third and biggest challenge, as it should be, is the track itself. Marina Bay is one the few anticlockwise circuits in the F1 calendar so it strains the muscles in an altogether different way to regular, traditional clockwise circuits. The strains themselves are higher. Grip levels evolve across the sessions and the street circuit rubbers in so the ideal car setup itself is a moving target. and the track is known to be very bumpy under crucial braking areas. The layout has 23 "real" (no kinks needlessly counted as) corners, the most of any track in the calendar. Brakes undergo their hardest test as precise braking points precede corners and cooling them is vital. Brake failures are common as Romain Grosjean in 2008 and Mark Webber in 2009 demonstrated. The braking exerts high vertical G forces whilst the corners themselves exert lateral forces. There simply isn't a breather.

"Singapore’s composition of 23 mainly slow corners means that engines will be worked continuously with little time to breathe throughout the 5-km lap. Cooling of the unit will therefore be at a premium with the situation exacerbated by the region’s hot and humid climatic conditions." - Cosworth.

If the engine's having a hard time, imagine what the driver strapped in 4 layers of fireproof clothing in 30C ambient temperature would be feeling. He has to complete 61 laps of this gruelling circuit. 1403 corners bombarding his body with immense force.

To master the challenges and win around here, you need to be one of the very best. The standout performer has been Fernando Alonso - he won the inaugural GP in 2008 (albeit a pyrrhic victory for the Renault team), finished third in a thoroughly uncompetitive Renault in 2009 and gave it the mighty hat-trick of pole position, fastest lap and race win in 2010.

I've found a good correlation between qualifying performance and Singapore performance. Drivers who are good qualifiers often do well at Singapore. Vettel, who was the only Red Bull/Torro Rosso driver to reach Q3 in 2008, finished P2 in 2010 and was challenging for the victory in 2009 until his pit lane speeding incident, is undoubtably the best qualifier on the grid. Rosberg, who has consistently out-qualified Schumacher, has a 3rd and a 2nd place finish to his name. Hamilton, known for his qualifying speed, has a victory and podium. Singapore requires the utmost concentration to perfect every braking zone and each corner. In qualifying, you have to do this for one lap. In Singapore, you need to do this for every lap.

Whilst it's easy to overlook the race as a "money-money-money" glamour spectacle, it's gone more the way of Monaco than Abu Dhabi. Just like Monaco, the actual circuit on which the real racing and punches are thrown is an incredibly gruelling challenge. Racing comes first and the glamour is only a setting for the action on the track.

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Lewis Hamilton Driver Profile BY christina eades

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IMAGE © MCLAREN.COM

ARTICLE SINGAPORE GP

Born: 7th January 1985 Nationality: British F1 Debut: Australian Grand Prix 2007 Team: McLaren Mercedes Races: 84 Wins: 16 Podium Appearances: 40 World Championships: 1 (2008) Having been bought up in the McLaren young driver program from the age of 13, Lewis Hamilton’s F1 journey started at a young age and has translated throughout his career so far. At the end of 2011, Lewis will complete his fifth Formula One season. Within those five years, the McLaren prodigy has gone on to become a household name and a legend in his own right. Formula One changes year on year and drivers are one aspect. Lewis Hamilton showed the world what to expect from the new breed of F1 driver.

He first appeared in 2007 for team McLaren alongside Fernando Alonso who was about to start his first season with the team. With such a combination of a McLaren student and a two time world champion, McLaren had a driver line-up that would be sure to make the headlines. But not for the right reasons. Their partnership went sour after Fernando realised that he was not walking into a team whereby he would be the No 1 driver. Lewis was not about to make things easy for the Spaniard and wanted to prove his worth just as much, if not more, than Fernando. He made such an impact on the F1 world by gracing the podium nine times during the 2007 season, two of which were wins. His first win was at the sixth round of the season at the Canadian Grand Prix. Lewis narrowly missed out on a world champion ship win in his debut season by just one single point to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen who started his debut season with the Scuderia.

But his debut was one of the most phenomenal debuts in the history of Formula One and that world championship looked imminent. What was to come in the 2008 season, many did not expect.

Tensions between the Spaniard and the Brit led to Fernando cutting his contract short and returning to Renault. Lewis’s new team mate was Finland’s Heikki Kovalainen and the partnership was to be one of the friendliest and calm ones for the next couple years. 2008 started just as strong as his debut only this time,

he was on the top step of the podium at the opening round of the season. Out of the 18 races, Lewis graced the podium ten times, only finished outside of the points twice and retired once. Like 2007, the 2008 title fight went down to the final race at Brazil between Lewis and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. Felipe went on to win the race and crossed the line believing he was world champion as Lewis was stuck in sixth behind Toyota’s Timo Glock and to win the championship, the McLaren driver would need fifth place. Unfortunately for the Brazilian, in the last few corners, Lewis was able to take the important fifth place and steal the world championship by one point yet again. He went on to become the youngest ever world champion at 23 and retained the extra title till 2010.

However, with the rise of Red Bull and the exceptional appearance of Brawn GP, McLaren had their work cut out to reach the new form of Formula One car and make their driver think twice about how he wants his career to pan out.

Brawn GP made its debut in 2009 and would become the headlining team of the season. Red Bull’s uprising was also to be a surprise for the season. McLaren proved to struggle and catch up to the pace during the season and only started to make headway in the final few races by which point, their chances of a top three finish were well and truly over. But Hamilton was to make the headlines after being disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix. Under a yellow flag, Jarno Trulli passed the McLaren driver, and was given a 25-second time penalty which promoted Lewis to third. However, after the FIA investigated the incident further, both McLaren and Lewis withheld a radio conversation they had.

The controversy led to a black mark on the driver and one which has continued to haunt the 2008 world champion.

Lewis only graced the podium five times in 2009 with wins at Hungary and Singapore, a second place at Valencia and third places at Japan and Brazil, Lewis finished fifth place overall. The focus then went on to the following year.

2010 saw new world champion, Jenson Button move to McLaren completing the all British team. Like with Lewis and Heikki, the bond between the Brits was calm and peaceful one with both

drivers feeling equal within the team.

They were the first team to have double champion line-up since Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost joined McLaren (coincidently). Lewis finished a respectful fourth overall in 2010 but Red Bull were a force to be reckoned with and Sebastian Vettel blew the field away in his RB6. Ferrari’s Alonso also hindered Hamilton’s chances of a top three end to the season with the wins near enough split equally between the German and Spaniard.

For Lewis, 2011 has been a rollercoaster ride filled with controversy.

Lewis has seen the stewards so often this season, that the most significant change in the Brit has been his attitude. His “Maybe it’s because I am black” remark in Monaco has lowered many people’s expectations and respect for him. He has also noted that he feels targeted by the FIA whenever he is involved in an incident. What has also been criticised is his driving style. His driving style has been described as being dangerous and linked closely with that of Ayrton Senna’s style. In terms of performance, his team mate Button is outperforming him especially with regards to tyre strategy. After all the controversy this season, Lewis looks to have lost some of his fight. This was seen at Monza when it took him 16 laps to pass Mercedes driver, Michael Schumacher. Had this been two years previous, it would not have taken him that length of time. With only two wins at China and Germany, his title fight looks over. Currently sitting in fifth place, his hopes now lie to finish within the top three.

From hero to villain, Lewis Hamilton has made his mark in Formula One. After an exceptional debut, and then to world champion, it looked like a fairytale. But after some bad judgement calls, the fairytale turned into a nightmare. If Lewis is to regain that hero status, he is to do what he does best. Race. And stick to the rule book.

It is unclear as to whether he will play out his Formula One career with McLaren with links to Ferrari and most notably, Red Bull. Could we see Lewis hang up his silver overalls for a red or blue one? Time will tell as the world champion’s hunger for the next world championship gets stronger.

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