FORMULA 1 – LEWIS HAMILTON….SMH… (SPANISH GP)

I refuse to be a dramatic echo! Verstappen’s name will appear on every billboard that has space to accomodate it. His praises will be sung like a battle cry rallying the Allies in World War II! He deserves everything that comes his way and the History book will, appropriately so, reward him for his remarkable F1 achievement – youngest to win a F1 race. Well done sir!

It was an incredible victory for the chap. But was it an incredible race? The answer depends on the size of the screen of your HD-equipped tv! Let us summon our rational thoughts and regain perspective. I will be the only bold whisper in the room. Lewis Hamilton’s ‘mada-woman’ has departed and as such his fortunes, even when they appear to be changing, have a propensity for remaining the same!

He clinched pole in Spain, which based on events leading up to the magical lap, could not have been foreseen. So he stole pole. But, no surprise there – we are still talking about the defending World Champion! Rosberg sat next to his teammate at P2, but the real surprise was the Red Bull machines upstaging Ferrari. Signs of things to come.

Hamilton’s season thus far has been a nightmare and he admitted that he had a lot of work to do in the Spanish GP. The jury, I am certain, is still trying to decide how much real work he accomplished in Spain. He spent a lot of energy hurling his machine’s steering in the gravel trap! That should count for something!

ROSBERG

The lost red lights meant leaping horses to turn 1. Hamilton got a fairly good start when compared to his blunders in the past. Rosberg, I am still at a loss, passed Hamilton on the outside of corner 1 as if he was motionless! Hamilton recalculated quickly however and like a trapped rodent he sought an escape route – space, a path which was hurriedly eliminated by Rosberg. And then, the careening, slam, collision, two Mercedes machines out, stirring the gravel-trap into action! Captivated and shell-shocked audiences worldwide were befuddled!

The blame game will continue – Rosberg or Hamilton? Again, I am no echo! I will remain silent. The Mercedes fiasco closed the door on the perfect season, but before both doors snapped shut, Verstappen eased a left boot in!

Perspective, we must retain. It was always felt that Ferrari would emerge as the real threat to Mercedes, but in F1 no one waits on the opposition. And despite the presence of Enzo Ferrari’s grandson in Spain, Red Bull saw an opportunity, grabbed Verstappen to launch an assault and aided and abetted by the wrestling Mercedes duo and encouraged further by a floundering Ferrari, the team that knows how to win championships climbed an insurmountable hill.

The road to P1 was no easy task for Verstappen. He had to deflect Kimi’s late charge and that he did in a champion’s fashion. So, I will give him the credit he deserves but be mindful of the fact that his ascent to the top step was a victim of the circumstances that Lewis Hamilton created!

Do not miss the Monaco GP!

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer