How About Them Cowboys? (Denial Edition)

So you may have noticed I haven’t blogged about the Cowboys (or for that matter McLaren) in awhile.  Why?  I’m a sore fucking loser that’s why.  I could blog about Butler, but I get a little to wrapped up to do that rationally.  So it’s probably gonna be politics until the F1 season comes around.

Japan Grand Prix Thoughts

As I write this there are 8 laps left in a very rainy race at Fuji. Why it’s still running is open for interpretation (FIA hoping Lewis will spin out and give Kimi a chance to catch him. Yeah, I really am this tired of the FIA being completely in the bag for Ferrari.) but it appears it will run to completion. At any rate Lewis Hamilton has run a masterful race, overcoming contact to dominate the race building a 14 second lead in an absolute downpour. Kimi is running 3rd, Massa languishes in 8th, and Alonso is out of the race with a destroyed car; so Lewis is in excellent shape to come out of this race with a healthy increase in his points lead.

Also healthy is his new contract a reported 5 year $110 million contract to stay at McLaren. Which is great news for him, McLaren is the only team he’s ever wanted to run for; and also gives McLaren long term stability. Regardless of what happens with Alonso McLaren has assured itself that it will have the services of a world champion caliber driver.

Kimi and Kovalainen just had an amazing finish, run in near zero visibility that can’t be missed. If you didn’t see it live find a repeat it’s that amazing.

Alonso Says He’ll Stay at McLaren Next Year

Fresh off throwing a season long hissy fit over not being given number one status, accusing the team of supporting Lewis over him, and finally trying to extort Ron Dennis into benching Lewis for the rest of the season to give him a clear shot at the title Alonso is now saying he will return next year. This brings a few questions to mind. First, does McLaren really want him back? If Hamilton can compete for the title, do you really need Alonso and all his baggage?

Second, why would he want to come back? Other then the money that is. Things aren’t really going to be any different next year, Hamilton will still be there with a season under his belt. A season that he performed remarkably on tracks he’d never seen before and without the drama the drama of Alonso. Alonso will never be the clear number one at McLaren as long as Hamilton is there, if anything the odds of Hamilton getting the subtle pushes from the team Alonso has accused him of is more likely to happen as time goes by. Alonso is in his prime, Hamilton is just started and they’re neck and neck. That really has to eat at Alonso.

But it comes down to what I wrote about a few months ago; Alonso has nowhere to really go. Ferrari and BMW are locked in, Renault has an open seat but may not be willing to buy out Alonso’s contract. So Alonso is faced the choice of not racing (something he claims to have pondered in the past) or trying to make the best of it at McLaren. How that goes may be the most entertaining thing about the ‘08 season.

Dad, Lewis is Sitting on My Side of the Car!

So Ron Dennis says if Alonso can’t hack sharing the limelight at McLaren with Hamilton he’s free to leave. What’s he care right? Hamilton is leading the championship as a rookie, and Dennis figures there’s more where that came from having signed half the 13 years old in England (and apparently a few in China as well) to development contracts. If Lewis is going to be competing for championships what do you need Alonso for?

While Dennis probably isn’t bluffing, he did fire Montoya mid season after all, I also think he said it knowing that there aren’t many places Alonso can go. Ferrari? Probably not given that Massa has really stepped up this year, and Kimi is still touted as the most talented driver in the paddock. Williams? Its been awhile since Sir Frank has fielded a championship contender, and with Toyota power and chassis that don’t respond well that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. Honda? Probably not when Super Aguri is outrunning them. Back to Renault? Maybe, he’d have to spend the rest of his career groveling to Flavio, and the car has been out to lunch at a few tracks.

Which leaving out the minnows, the also running big boys, and the debuting ProDrive team (who would spend the money on a marque name, but is rumored to be a McLaren customer, what’s the point of marching out the front door just to slip in the back door?) leaves one team; BMW. Which makes sense, they’ve been producing unreal horsepower for years; and the cars have really made a leap forward this year jumping to a comfortable 3rd this year in the constructor’s championship. Considering after two seasons they’re well ahead of Honda and Toyota you have to believe there will be another considerable leap forward again next year. Sure Heidfeld and Kubica are nice drivers, but neither are double world champions either. So would BMW make a play for Alonso if he declared himself a free agent? That remains to be seen.

But I expect him to stay at McLaren, why wouldn’t he? He’s not being told to take the second seat to Hamilton, just that Hamilton isn’t going to give way to him. Why would he walk away from a team leading the championship that gives him a chance to win every week and a chance to compete for the championship every year? Would a true champion give that up for a team that give him preferential treatment?

Hank Picks the Winners (Or How I Make a Fool of Myself)

Well if I’ve learned one thing this week its this; nothing drives people away from a blog faster then talking about open wheel racing. I think LJ only slogged through because of the pictures. Oh well, I like open wheel racing, and this site is more about entertaining myself then it is entertaining you.

So now that you’ve seen the 13 drivers with the best odds of winning two of the biggest sporting events in the world, its time to make my picks for the winners. And lets face it, the odds aren’t in my favor.

Indianapolis 500 I think Danica, Tony Kanaan, and Sam Hornish Jr all have great chances at picking up the win, but I think this is the year that Helio Castroneves gets his third. The odds of a team (Penkse) having back to back wins from the pole are admittedly slim, but those things mean less when you’re talking about an outfit like Penske. He has the talent, the temperament, and the equipment to win.

Monaco Grand Prix I really wanted to pick Lewis Hamilton and his perfect record at Monaco, but this week he is the first time he’s looked like a rookie. He has really gotten caught up in the sideshow that is Monte Carlo, and has really been pushing his car to the limits, two things that don’t combine for a good result. Meanwhile his teammate Fernando Alonso has been having a great, if quiet, week. McLaren traditionally does well at Monaco, and Ferrari is seemingly not keeping pace. While Ferrari will undoubtedly close in it would appear to be Alonso’s race to lose.

So on Sunday we’ll see how I am at this prognosticating.

Get To Know Your Monaco Grand Prix Teams: McLaren Mercedes

Our final preview this week is Hank’s favorite race team, McLaren Mercedes.  Since it’s inception its been one of the dominant teams in F1, and this year has been no exception.

Fernando Alonso

Why You Know Him: Two time world champion.

Why He Will Win: With a teammate nipping at his heels, and a three way fight for the world championship he has to.  Also because in 5 attempts he has one win and 3 other points paying finishes.

Why He Will Not Win: So far his rookie teammate has been eating his lunch.

Lewis Hamilton

Why You Know Him: You probably don’t yet, but you will.

Why He Will Win: His  races at Monaco in F3 and GP2 were dominate, going 2 for 2.

Why He Will Not Win: In a welcome to the big leagues moment he’s already had an accident with a shunt into the soft barrier at Ste Devote on cold tires.

Is Lewis Hamilton the Tiger Woods of F1?

The comparison was inevitable; Hamilton being a young black athlete in a sport dominated by white drivers, it wasn’t surprising that a few (such as Time magazine) would make the comparison.  How else could they explain the significance of Hamilton to F1, especially in America where NASCAR is king and open wheel racing has slid precariously close to obscurity (to my great sadness)?  Their youth, and near dominance on the path to being professionals (Hamilton had more wins then Kimi Raikkonen had races before reaching F1) alone begged the comparison without ethnicity entering into the picture.  Hamilton is in fact the youngest driver to ever sign a contract with an option for a F1 ride, at the age of 13.

What nobody expected is that Hamilton would force the comparison so early in his career.  After the first four rounds of the World Championship Hamilton sits one point ahead of his McLaren Mercedes teammate, and reigning two time world champion, Fernando Alonso; making him the youngest driver to hold the lead since Bruce McLaren himself.  The questions now are how good will he be next year after having seen all the tracks once, but can he win this year?

Monaco will tel us a lot about Hamilton’s chances this year; it is The Masters of the F1 season, and a track like none other.  If Hamilton make another podium, or even wins; then he may be on his way to a World Championship his first season.  And that’s a feat even Tiger didn’t accomplish.