| After just two races in the 2007 Formula
| |
| | retake him on the next corner. Until he
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| 1 calendar complete, it is already
| |
| | fooled Massa into braking too late, and
|
| looking much like the two horse race that
| |
| | as the Brazilian slid past him and out
|
| everyone expected. What nobody expected
| |
| | into the gravel Hamilton roared past and
|
| was that McLaren would already be leading
| |
| | that was that. Worse was to come for
|
| the race, with the sole exception of
| |
| | Massa, as he watched Heidfeld go past. He
|
| perhaps McLaren themselves. In Australia,
| |
| | would spend the rest of his race trying
|
| Ferrari had a mixed race, with Raikkonen
| |
| | to get past the BMW, and it is a mark of
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| leading from pole to checkered flag very
| |
| | their progress that he found it
|
| comfortably, while his team mate, Felipe
| |
| | impossible. Up ahead, things got
|
| Massa, managed to battle his way from the
| |
| | interesting after the second pit stop.
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| back of the grid up to a very respectable
| |
| | The first had been more than a little
|
| sixth position. Imagine, we all thought,
| |
| | unkind to Raikkonen, his stop was almost
|
| how he might have done if he had started
| |
| | 3 seconds longer than Hamiltons and saw
|
| in the top six. Meanwhile, Alonso had
| |
| | him exit snug between the Renaults of
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| qualified just behind Raikkonen, and the
| |
| | Fisichella and Kovalainen, where he
|
| not completely unexpected presence of
| |
| | quickly lost time on his rival in 2nd.
|
| Nick Heidfeld separated him from team
| |
| | However, after the second pit it seemed
|
| mate Lewis Hamilton, so the McLarens were
| |
| | that the hard compound was suiting the
|
| looking strong. Strong enough for team
| |
| | Ferrari, and Raikkonen quickly began to
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| boss Ron Dennis to instruct his drivers
| |
| | chase down Hamilton, knocking over half a
|
| to take no chances in the first lap, just
| |
| | second a lap off the gap between them.
|
| get around safely. While Alonso seemed
| |
| | Too little, too late. Hamilton crossed
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| content to follow, Hamilton (in his first
| |
| | the line in second, and ice-man had to
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| ever F1 race) pushed Heidfeld for third,
| |
| | settle for third, and for second position
|
| and in the process ended up overtaking
| |
| | over all in the title race.
|
| Alonso and moving into 2nd place. There
| |
| | As we near race three in the calendar,
|
| he remained, comfortably, until losing
| |
| | Bahrain, what can we expect? It seems
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| time in the pits at which point Alonso
| |
| | obvious that the reliability problems
|
| moved back to second.
| |
| | that plagued McLaren for the last two
|
| The BMWs performed well, with Heidfeld
| |
| | seasons seem to have been sorted out.
|
| holding 4th until the flag and Kubica
| |
| | Ferrari continues to appear to be the
|
| also cruising until he was forced to
| |
| | quickest, but they have their own
|
| retire due to gearbox failure. Fisichella
| |
| | problems at the moment with grip. BMW
|
| managed a creditable 6th in the
| |
| | Sauber are looking the most improved
|
| under-performing Renault, while his
| |
| | team, having managed to get 4th place in
|
| rookie team mate, Heikki Kovalainen, had
| |
| | both races despite having bad luck.
|
| a debut to forget, managing to get home
| |
| | Likewise Williams; Rosberg managed 7th in
|
| in 10th. Perhaps the best surprise was
| |
| | Australia and was looking good in Sepang
|
| seeing Nico Rosberg bringing his Williams
| |
| | until the engine went, while his team
|
| home in 7th, having started from 12th on
| |
| | mate, Wurz, was doing fine in Australia
|
| the grid. Ralf Schumacher, one of the
| |
| | until Coulthard launched his car over
|
| three best drivers in Formula 1 according
| |
| | him. In Sepang, Wurz narrowly missed out
|
| to Ralf Schumacher, picked up the last
| |
| | on a point when he couldn't hold off the
|
| point.
| |
| | challenge of Kovalainen in the Renault.
|
| And so to Sepang, where Ferrari looked
| |
| | Fisichella has managed to finish 5th and
|
| very strong and the McLarens just a
| |
| | 6th in his Renault, while his rookie team
|
| little behind. This was the race Ferrari
| |
| | mate picked up his first point of the
|
| should have won, but it was not to be.
| |
| | season with his 8th place in Malaysia,
|
| Like Australia before it, almost all the
| |
| | but it looks like Renault have an uphill
|
| decisive action was over by the end of
| |
| | battle ahead, and their best hope of
|
| the first lap. Alonso started alongside
| |
| | finishing third in the constructors will
|
| Massa, and pushed him off his line by
| |
| | depend a lot on how well the BMW Sauber
|
| outbraking him at the first corner,
| |
| | team continues to do and whether or not
|
| allowing Hamilton to slide up into 2nd.
| |
| | Williams can get their reliability issues
|
| With Hamilton as his protective cushion,
| |
| | in order. Beyond those three will be the
|
| Alonso quickly opened up a gap on the
| |
| | battle among Honda, Toyota, and perhaps
|
| following cars, getting further ahead
| |
| | Red Bull, and filling up the places will
|
| with every lap. Behind him, Hamilton
| |
| | be the Super Aguri, Toro Rosso and Spyker
|
| played a deadly cat and mouse game with
| |
| | teams.
|
| Massa, allowing Massa to slip by only to
| |
| |
|
