F1 Season 2008

The curtains are down on yet another eventful season of Formula one. F1 season 2009 began in March with Lewis Hamilton taking the opening round at Albert park, picking up from where he had left last season, going to show that he is not just a mere “Flash in the Pan” and has far more potential and was focused to do justice to all the Hype around his name. Nine months down the line and Lewis has been crowned as the First Black Formula One Champion the glamorous and extravagant world of Formula 1 has seen.
Never, have fans got a chance to watch such a closely contested championship between the Mclaren’s and Ferrari’s bringing to mind the erstwhile battle to former Heavy weights, Seven time world Champion Micheal Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen. The season has been a battle royale for two of the perhaps greatest teams in F1 history. If 2007 was the year of the Prancing Horse then 2008 went to the Royal Britons of McLaren. With a slight slump in form for defending champion Kimi Raikkonen in the later part of the season, it was left to the more erratic No 2 Driver Filipe Massa of Brazil to bring home the championship for the team from Maranello. If fact, such was the form and pace set by the Brazilian driver this season that he was all set to become perhaps the first No. 2 driver to win the championship. This seemed to the year of triumph for the Brazilian behind the wheels of the Italian powerhouse.
The championship was a see-saw between the two teams just as in 2007, with each taking the lead from the other with teams like BMW Sauber driven by Robert Kubica and with two time world Champion Fernando Alonso finding late form in his Renault, the race to the finish was getting even hotter by the day. So close was the championship and so closely fought that a mistake by Timo Glock in the final lap of the Brazilian GP which caused Massa which should have been his maiden F1 title.
Having said all this, it would be grossly unfair to undermine Hamilton’s effort this season. It was just a matter of time before the little star would shine his way to the top and 2008 was the year when Hamilton conquered the world of Motor Sport by becoming the youngest ever World Champion in F1 history. Well that is something for achievement for the rookie in only his second season.
Season 2008 was a year which saw a sea of changes in the F1 calendar including the first ever night race in the form of the Singapore Street race. This is a definitely a feather in the cap for the FIA which is trying ever hard to retain spectator interest in F1 and increase its viewership and Fernando Alonso will be remembered as the man who won the first ever race under lights.
With Kimi Raikkonen of the throne and the title at the hands of Rookie Driver, F1 never got so exciting. If 2008 was a year which saw up and downs and fortunes swing back and forth, expect nothing less and an exhilarating season 2009.
Lewis Hamilton……Way to go boy!!!!!!!!
VIVA F1!!!!!!!!!!!