Ok, i am happy the Hamilton won. I have been pulling for him all year. But I will also say that Massa is a class act. He handled defeat like a man and did the best he could in that race. You could see the pain in his eyes as he pulled up to park his car. Apparently he thought during his cooldown lap that he had won the championship. I really felt badly for Massa and his family as there is nothing worse than thinking it is yours and then finding out it's not.
I suspect that while everyone said Hamilton/McLaren was guessing rain, I think they really had a dry setup. He just wasn't very quick in the rain. They were making such a big deal out of how fast Vettel was compared to Hamilton on the last few laps, but it was really Kubica who they should have been talking about. He passed both Hamilton and Vettel like they were standing still. Hamilton was in trouble and was barely holding his position but Vettel (and Kubica) caught him as they caught up with traffic. The slower cars did their best to get out of the way, but it allowed both Vettel and Kubica to be right on top of Hamilton.
I am guessing that the turn in which Kubica passed Hamilton that as Kubica completed the pass that it took the air off Hamilton's front wing (Hamilton didn't appear to be really late braking for that corner), then Hamilton pushed slightly wide onto the slick outside and then Vettel was through. From that point forward I was sure Hamilton had lost it. But give him credit for not trying a stupid move on Vettel. He could catch him under braking, but couldn't get the power down out of the slower corners.
I think there may be some who think Glock got the call from McLaren somehow
, but the rain was getting worse in some parts of the track during that last lap and I think Glock really was struggling. As Hamilton made the pass you can see Glock trying to get the power down, but the rear was stepping out. He was just on the wrong tire at that point.
Overall, it was a dramatic finish to the race and championship. Frankly that race was a perfect example of what is good about F1 racing. I hope next year is just as good and it will be interesting to see how the teams deal with all of the changes. As much as I can't stand Ferrari, I would like to see Massa win a championship because I think he is good enough to be called a champion.
_________________
Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.comMoney can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
