Ferrari Motor Ferrari Challenge News


06 October 2007

Chinese GP - Typhoon Tomorrow?

Shanghai, 6th October 2007

Qualifying for the penultimate Grand Prix of the season has continued the theme we have seen all year, with the top two rows of the grid featuring the same four cars in different orders. For example, just one week ago in the shadow of Mount Fuji, the top four were Hamilton, Alonso, Raikkonen and Massa. Today, championship leader Lewis, has taken his second consecutive pole position, but following him come the two Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro drivers, with Kimi Raikkonen on the front row in second place and Felipe Massa on the inside of row 2, alongside Fernando Alonso. While there are few surprises as far as this quartet is concerned, seeing the Red Bull -Renault in fifth place courtesy of David Coulthard and the Toyota of Ralf Schumacher in sixth spot is more unusual.

The weather has already played its part today, with strong cross winds affecting the handling of the cars. This wind is the first sign of what is supposed to be a typhoon heading towards the Shanghai area. However, there is confusion over exactly when this might occur, depending on which forecast one looks at. The general consensus is that it is highly likely there could be another wet race and one only needs to look back to Mount Fuji a week ago to recall how confusing this could make matters tomorrow afternoon.



Whatever the situation, Felipe Massa has made it clear that, given he no longer has any mathematical chance of taking the title, he will completely legitimately do what he can to try and help Kimi achieve that goal, even if it will be far from easy. Of the three drivers with a mathematical chance of being champion, only Hamilton can clinch the title tomorrow. Over this weekend, some drivers criticised the way Hamilton had driven his McLaren-Mercedes behind the Safety Car in Fuji and on Saturday night, along with Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, who collided when running behind the Englishman, was called before the Stewards. No penalty for Hamilton, but good and bad news for Vettel, who had been punished with a ten place drop from his qualifying position at this race. The Stewards chose to change that to a simple reprimand and so the young German thought he would start from twelfth where he qualified, only to be dropped 5 places lower for blocking Kovalainen's Renault in Q1.

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