08:31 AM
12/22/24
12/22/24
September 01, 2002
Kimi Raikkonen rocked.: So I tape the qualifying at Spa and Raikkonen looks like he is ripping the track up, using every inch of every corner, and whipping every last bit out of his McLaren. Ferrari and Michael Schumacher defeated this effort to gain the pole postition, and will almost certainly win the race. While I appreciate Ferrari's competence, I really admire Raikkonen's effort, even if it will be for naught. Is F1 like baseball, where you learn to appreciate the nuances, so that even losers like Raikkonen, or Nolan Ryan, can be appreciated for their individual performances despite the inability of the teams around them to compete? BTW, the Formula One website is very well done, clean and fast, with lots of links.
I've been a fan of F1 since the mid eighties, and yes, you do come to appreciate the nuances. One of the least successful drivers of recent years was Jean Alesi who, despite the fact that he had the talent, was usually in the wrong team at the wrong time. He was very much like Raikkonen. Kimi's performance this weekend was terrific to watch, and was definitely one of the highlights. Some of the best entertainment in F1 these days is found further down the grid. Those guys fight tooth and nail over 10th place and the like where, in F1, you only get points for finishing as low as 6th. Another good site is Formula One Update. What's that you say? There's a Drood who writes on that site? Must be coincidence;-)