Hamilton more than Alonso can handle

Following the sanctions enlisted upon Fernando Alonso for his actions during Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying, British phenomenon and Formula One rookie sensation Lewis Hamilton quietly went on to win another race this year, putting himself firmly in control of the championship and a three thousand pound gorilla in between Fernando Alonso and his third consecutive world championship.

During the final moments of qualifying for the Hungarian G.P., Fernando Alonso delayed his exit from the one pit box the teams share for their multi-car program, causing Hamilton to miss his final chance to put up a faster lap than Nando. Viewed by this author as a 'cheap shot', Alonso stayed put for 10 to 15 seconds after his service was complete, while Hamilton waited just behind him to enter the pit stall and recieve new tires and possible adjustments before going out on track for a last attempt at pole position, one that pays additional championship points.

FIA, the sanctioning body of Formula One, and principle Bernie Ecclestone subsequently ruled Alonso fabricated (lied about) conversations going on that caused him not to leave quickly, and also caused (duh) Hamilton to miss a chance to put up a faster lap. Not at all a far-fetched scenario, Hamilton has out-qualified and out-raced his seasoned teammate on several occasions this year.

Lewis Hamilton, a rookie this year with McLaren F-1, was groomed for years is Euro-karting and Formula One's ladder system by none other than McLaren team principle and G.P. boss Ron Denis. When Raikkonen and Montoya bailed from the floundering 2005 and 2006 McLaren teams, Hamilton was tabbed to drive the "second" car. In a widely celebrated "coup", Denis signed defending world champ Alonso to drive the "first" car. Although teams rarely admit to it, frequently situations present themselves that lend credence to the theory that goes like this: When a team fields more than one car, there will be slightly less attention paid to the second car. The best most reliable parts go to the first car, the best driver, the more experienced crew and commander (crew cheif). This only makes sense to me, because, after all, a team is out there to win, and if you have to split your resources- if you don't have the millions necessary to give your team a chance to win, then don't field a second car. There are benefits though, to having a second car: testing results are doubled. New procedures and combinations can be tested without comprimising the readiness of the "first" car.

As you can imagine, it's tough on the "second" car driver. In recent years, Rubens Barrichello was the "other" driver at Ferarri with Michael Schumacher, Montoya to Raikkonen, Sato to Button and as history tells us, there have always been "first" and "second" cars.

This year, appearently, McLaren's "second" car, driven by Ron Denis' protoge' is bucking that trend.

GO LEWIS!!

-Katykarter