The Bold, The Brave, The Beautiful

The year, 1986

“Good morning, gentlemen. The temperature is 110 degrees.”

“Holy shit, it's Viper!”

“Great, he's probably saying, "Holy shit, it's Maverick and Goose."

Tom Cruise in the movie Top Gun played the role of a nonconformist, free spirit pilot. Such was his aura that his call-sign ‘Maverick’ became an instant hit with eccentric souls worldwide.

People wanted to dress like him. People wanted to walk like him. People wanted to talk like him. Heck people even wanted to cry like him. Girls loved him. Guys idolized him. He was probably the first man to defy the rules and follow something as ‘petty’ as his instincts. Atleast that’s what the world thought.

He wanted to be everywhere. He wanted to do everything. Best of all, he wanted to be seen doing it as well. His decisions irked people. His results pissed them further. But in the end it was his charismatic demeanor that made him stand tall. He wanted people to follow him. To be drawn to his persona.

The audacity of that guy!

The year, 1997

Max Verstappen is born.

The year, 2016

“Jesus Christ! And you think I’m reckless. When I fly, I’ll have you know that my crew and my plane come first.”

Verstappen seemed inconsolable following his team Toro Rosso’s decision to not let him pass teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. on the grid. ‘Strategic decision,’ they said. ‘Stifling character,’ they never said.

For someone who’s just 18 years old (2 of which have been in Formula 1), it was indeed unbelievable. Why wouldn’t they let him fly? Was it because of his age? Maybe! Was it because of his boldness? Let’s hope not. Or maybe it was because they wouldn’t let him have a driver’s license till last year.

It’s true. Max’s father had to drive him to work in a car just so that Max could race in one. Imagine a father driving his own son to a Grand Prix where he could race in a 300 kmph supersonic speed-craft so mercurial that one can experience the line where life meets death.

Seems twisted, doesn’t it? Not to the Verstappen household apparently.

Max Verstappen was taught how to drive before he could walk. His foot would fit an accelerator much better than it would fit into a new shoe. He could put a car into reverse in his sleep and his steering wheel maneuvering prowess would have saved the Titanic from those freaking icebergs.

But who cares about that anyway? Rules are rules, right?

A team is always supposed to favour their No. 1 driver. Schumacher over Barrichello, Alonso over Fisichella, Vettel over Webber, Hamilton over Rosb…. Ahem, excuse me!

Carlos Sainz Jr. is Toro Rosso’s No. 1 driver. He drives safe races. All energy and effort needs to be put in helping him thrive. Not only that, Sainz also outranks Verstappen. Not just in terms of age, but also in terms of “Dad Experience”. Sainz Sr. trumps Verstappen Sr. and therefore the same rule will be applicable to their sons as well.

Wait. No. That’s not right!

If anything Sainz Sr. never even drove in Formula 1. Verstappen Sr. on the other hand has 2 podium finishes. Also, did I write Sainz Jr. drives safe races before? That would have been an amazing asset had we been handing out trophies to just finish races.

While one can’t argue that Sainz Jr. is definitely more ‘safe’ when it comes redeeming those no claim bonuses on car insurance, Verstappen is subliminally more supreme in all senses. His driving is as serene as the clicking sound a seat belt makes when things fall into place.

It’s bold, it’s brave, it’s just that damn beautiful!

No offense to Sainz Jr., but when a team such as Toro Rosso, which seems to always be in the shadows of big brother Red Bull, is given minimal resources then one just does not have options other than firing all cylinders.

Case Point – United States Grand Prix 2015

“You’re everyone’s problem. That’s because every time you fly, you’re unsafe. I don’t like you because you’re dangerous.”

“That’s right, Iceman! I am dangerous.”

For those who are regulars on the circuit, it is a well-known fact that one just does not mess with Kimi Raikkonen. After all they call him the ‘Iceman’ for a reason. He is a stone cold driver and can scorch even a wet track beyond recognition. Everyone fears him. Everyone bows down to him. People assemble at his behest.

Everyone except Max Verstappen!

Verstappen, racing for the first time ever in Austin, seems cool. He’s calm, he’s composed, and he’s all over Raikkonen. For a circuit as erratic as the Circuit of the Americas Max has everything in control. Sushine? Check. Rain? Check. Pitstops? Check. Tyre management? Check. Fending the iceman? Check.

For the last 5 turns Kimi has put up failed attempts to overtake Verstappen. Kimi tries the outside route at turn 7. He knows that it’s a long shot. But he sees an opening. Max, however, is too fast to block him. Too fast for a minnow like Toro Rosso. Why doesn’t he fly like that all the time? How’s he doing that?

Turn 8 up next. This is it, thinks the Finn. He tries the inside route now. He implements a textbook maneuver to shove that pesky rookie off track. But Max won’t be shoved around. He might be a rookie, but he’s pulling off blinders on those hairpin turns. It’s as orgasmic as watching Kohli hit a cover drive.

Turn 9 sees Kimi make up some ground. He’s back on the outside though. A natural disadvantage for drivers. But not for him. He’s used to these situations. He’s the king afterall. These jesters stand no chance of withstanding the wrath, fury, and sorcery of the iceman. Something is up, it’s a trap!

For the next three turns Kimi stays on the outside. He’s not doing much it seems. He’s waiting for the 0.62-mile stretch between turns 11 and 12. This is more than just racing now. This is dogfighting at its best. Like a cheetah skillfully prowls in the bush waiting for its prey, Kimi has set Max up beautifully.

Time for DRS to do its thing. Zoom go the cars. Just a matter of time before the rookie is shown his rightful place. If this was some other driver, he would have stopped the car by now, turned off the engine, prepared a speech on Kimi’s greatness, and then probably retired from racing.

However, good ol’ Max had other plans.

He sees what’s happening. He’s on top of it. He read Kimi. He read the iceman. This isn’t natural. This is something new. Is this even possible? Three-fourths of the stretch and a full DRS later Kimi is still on Max’s tail. This is unconstitutional. This is tyranny. This is supersonic evasion. Why won’t he fly again?

“You were in a four G inverted dive with a MIG-28?”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Lieutenant, what were you doing there?”

“Communicating. Keeping up the foreign relations. Giving him the bird.”

“So, you’re the one?”

“Yes Ma’am.”

If Max Verstappen’s repulse against former world champion Kimi Raikkonen was not a racing equivalent of showing him the finger then what happened a minute later at turn 12 definitely was. Kimi has had enough. He’s completely weathered. This is unchartered territory for him. It should be the other way.

He tries too hard to overtake and BOOM! Wheels bang, wings break, gravel flies, and Raikkonen finds himself beside a barricade. How did this happen? Well atleast it’s over. The dogfight has finally ended. There was no winner. There won’t be any awkward glances in the pits now. The pride is still intact.

If only!

Raikkonen looks up to steal a glimpse at Verstappen. It would be good to see the spoils of the enemy war craft. Only Max isn’t there. He’s nowhere. Nowhere in near sight. Wait, where is he again? He’s driving an impeccable race enroute to finishing fourth on the grid. World champions for breakfast!

‘Max’imum power, ‘Max’imum brutality!

The season-opening Australian Grand Prix too had its share of ‘maximum power’ moments. From ripping the qualifying session apart to stalling two-time defending world champion Lewis Hamilton during the main race. Max was everywhere. Max was what made sense.

Four laps to go in the first race of the season. Max is right on Sainz Jr.’s tail now. He’s burning more rubber every second than ever before. Maximum force, maximum power indeed. He’s on fire, atleast figuratively! Toro Rosso has been fitted with last year’s Ferrari engines. This is not the time to play it safe. This is not the time to go for that single point.

“Tower, this is Ghostrider. Requesting a fly-by.”

“Negative Ghostrider! The pattern is full.”

Sainz Jr. seems to be winning this war against Max without even participating in it. Verstappen can’t believe it. He knows he has a better chance than his teammate to overtake the Renault in front of them. But right now he’s been told to hold back his position.

Three laps left. Why wouldn’t they let him fly?

He’s spun. Max has just clipped Sainz Jr. on the back. Disaster has struck. The boss will be angry. Sainz Jr. races away. There’s no damage to his car. Max, on the other hand, has just effectuated a doughnut. Round and round and round he goes. Maximum power, maximum frustration, maximum doughnuts!

“I’m losing control. I can’t control it.”

“Mayday, Mayday!”

There we have it. That answers the question. He’s still too young. He’s still too immature. He should have just listened. He could have bagged an easy point. Now he’s losing seconds. Sainz Jr. has taken a 4-second lead over his teammate now. Make that 5 seconds. Now 6. There’s no coming back. Just two laps left and a healthy lead. Time to think of a good excuse and hit the showers a little early.

But wait a minute. What’s happening?

Who’s that behind Sainz Jr.? Surely it can’t be him. But it is. It’s him. He’s back. He’s flying. He’s reduced the lead back to 1 second. How is this happening? Is this for real? How could he have gained so much so soon? Maybe Sainz Jr. slowed down. Are we sure that his car wasn’t affected? No, his car escaped unscathed from that collision. The lead’s now less than 1 second. It’s the final lap. Can he? Will he?

“Damn, this kid is good..”

When Champions Get Their Due!

It’s a cold and chilly evening at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, France. The French team, having gone down 1-2 the previous night, nominate veteran Richard Gasquet as their messiah for the third singles rubber. Some consider it France’s desperate attempt to stay in the competition by handing the wheel to the most experienced driver. Others see it as an act of tactical brilliance adding to the meticulously chosen clay court in order to foil the opposition’s plans of celebrating their first ever Davis Cup title.

At the other end, the hopes of a whole nation are resting on the one man they believe is habile enough to gift them what they deserve. Some fans have travelled close to 700 kilometers to watch him create history. Others are natives who can’t help but cheer for him considering the aura he exuberates. At a moment when a country stands on the verge of being ‘crowned’ into an empire, who better to steer the ship than the man with the most majestic persona. Roger Federer! Could there be anyone else?

Switzerland are in the final after 22 years and who knows when’s the next going to come. It’s already been decided that the match will go down in history despite the outcome, but for Federer it is just another match. It is just another obstacle. Non-playing skipper Severin Luthi, as cold as the wintry winds outside, gets his team in a huddle. They might be from a country with 8 million people, but right now it’s just that one person who matters. They leave him to it. Fingers crossed. “Time,” the chair umpire says!

At almost around the same time, some 6700 kilometers away, the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi is ‘marinating’ to host a desert duel that has the makings of an absolute classic. Lewis Hamilton, sitting in his polished and unrivalled Mercedes, is thinking about the penultimate corner of the race track that literally derailed his pole position contention the previous evening. Failing to win the title would hand the Brit the unwanted record of becoming the first driver to win four races in a row and not win the title.

His teammate, title-rival and pole-sitter Nico Rosberg, meanwhile, is venerating F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone for introducing the double-points concept that gives the German a fighting chance to steal the title from Hamilton’s grasps despite winning just 5 races in the season. There are a gazillion permutations and combinations that could decide the title, but all Nico is thinking is to lead the race from start till finish and hope Lewis squanders second. Either that or he’s hoping for Lewis to crash.

The universe, on the other hand, seems to be in Hamilton’s corner. For the last two years Abu Dhabi has witnessed rain on November 23. But not today! Not when a personage like Lewis is in title contention. Not when the United Kingdom has eyes on its ‘favorite’ son. Not when Prince Harry is in attendance.

Oh! The audacity if it rains! The track is cleared off. All support staff, friends and family make their way to the paddock. The cars line up after the formation lap. Nico looks back at Lewis. As if to say, “It’s been one helluva ride mate.” Lewis looks at him and then up towards the sky. The instinctive devil in him says “All right, bring on the rain.” The conscientious pilot says “Let’s keep it simple, shall we?” The engines roar. The drivers wait for the five lights. One! Two! Three! Four! Five! And it’s “Lights out in Abu Dhabi!”

Meanwhile, Gasquet, who’s 2-2 head-to-head record against Federer on clay was probably the biggest catalyst for him being nominated ahead of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils, seems to be digging deep to stay alive in the first set. Federer’s all over him and in no time has taken a 3-2 lead that too on a surface that has been baptized as ‘legend killer’. Gasquet calls for his towel. The ball girl stares into his eyes as if to say “It’s not your fault. You’re just up against a freight train.” Richard Gasquet says nothing!

The Frenchman walks over slowly to his side of the court. His racquet dragging behind him as if to manifest an image of an old man being tormented on a football field by bunch of expeditious ruffians. At 28 years of age, he’s neither the oldest nor the fastest on the court. Both of those titles belong to Roger tonight. Back that up with some immaculate volley angles and some gravity-defying drops shots and somewhere in Spain Uncle Toni, with his dropped jaw, tells Rafa to start practicing for Roland Garros.

Federer to serve! His “Pirlo-esque” approach to the game is what makes him, at 33, a man possessed to set the records straight. He looks up once. Looks back down. Throws the ball in the air and Boom! Ace! 15-0! Gasquet can’t believe it. The comprehensive master plan of using clay as a surface to stave off the Swiss Maestro has been effectuated. But why is it not effective tonight? No time to think. Federer looks up again then back to the ball. Just one look is enough. Boom! Ace No. 2! 30-0! Two more times & 4-2 it is.

Back in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton has done just what was expected off him. As the cars head into the first corner, the 2008 world champion’s adept driving helps him vroom past Rosberg in no time to take the lead. There’s a reason why Lewis deserves the title this year and he’s just showed a glimpse of that. Probably the only driver on the circuit today who’s conjured the amalgamation of speed and braking to serene brilliance. His theory is simple – “master the speed, brake late on turns and kill those chicanes.”

Lewis lost the title in his ‘rookie’ season by a single point to Kimi Raikkonen due to technical snags in the last race. He won it a year later though by maneuvering a tranquil overtake on the last turn of the last lap of the last race outstripping Felipe Massa. Both Massa and Kimi are racing in Abu Dhabi tonight. But none can curb the prowess that Hamilton has. The Brit takes a 1.2 second lead on Rosberg after the first lap. Make that 2.7 seconds as he heads into his first pit stop 10 laps later. This one might be over soon!

Toto Wolff, Executive Director of Mercedes, looks at his screen under the setting sun and just can’t help believe what has happened. “Will people put this event to another conspiracy theory?” he thinks. Not so Mr. Wolff. Not this time. Maybe if Nico had tried to back Lewis into the Williams of Bottas and Massa. But the world saw what happened. The world knows Lewis, who’s used lesser fuel that Nico and has preserved his tyres better, deserves the championship and therefore no one is going to question you.

In the meantime, Federer is unveiling one of his greatest performances on clay. Like an opera singer enthralling the audience amidst the unruffled moonlight, Roger too is giving the Lille crowd a night to remember with staggering virtuosity. The 17-time Grand Slam champion wraps up the second set in spanking fashion and a historic title seems inevitable. But wait a minute. Can Gasquet come back in this one? Can France still win? All he needs to do is win the next three sets. Nah! Not tonight! Not any night!

Rosberg has better chance of winning the title though. He’s on fire with two successive fastest laps and, in stunning chain of events, is reducing the gap on Hamilton. Fox Sports commentator Alex Yoong has just been interrupted by a Mercedes team radio message. Who’s it for? Rosberg, of course! “All right Nico, you need to conserve your rear brakes. Too much pressure on the energy unit.” “What? Conserve energy?” Nico thinks. No way. Not when the race of his life is on. And then suddenly, disaster strikes!

Elsewhere Gasquet is praying to the heavens above to end his affliction. He’s splitting into pieces as Federer, who’s moving around the court like a gazelle, is taking the whole of France to the cleaners with his sumptuous play. He’s a game away from possessing the extraordinary feat of winning all the Grand Slams and the Davis Cup. Laver, Agassi, Nadal and now Federer! A league of extraordinary gentlemen indeed! “Time to finish this,” Federer tells himself. 15-0! 30-0! 40-0! Three championship points! Death serving at its best!

“I’m losing engine power!” exclaims Nico Rosberg in the interim. Guess pushing too hard has not worked in the German’s favour. The gap between him and Hamilton is now 7.1 seconds. “Nico, your ERS has failed,” comes the reply from his team. "Can you investigate that now, please? And then tell me what to do,” domineers Rosberg. His team is all but helpful. “It’s not a computer that can be restarted,” they think. Rosberg looks to his right and sees Massa pass by. Then Bottas! Then Ricciardo! It’s over for him!

Federer serves out the match and falls to his knees on the orange surface in similar manner he did at the 2009 French Open. Tears roll down his cheeks. It was special back then and it is equally special tonight. Back then he had equaled Pete Sampras’ “inviolable” record of 14 Grand Slams. Tonight he completes his trophy cabinet for every tennis title possible. He looks over to his wife Mirka in the stands and then to Stanislas Wawrinka in the corner. The feud a few weeks ago seems futile now. History has been made! Switzerland are the 2014 Davis Cup champions. Time for the fireworks! Time for the confetti!

Hamilton, on the other hand, starts the final lap of the 2014 Formula 1 season with a 3.3 second gap over second-placed Felipe Massa. His title is indubitable now. He’s on the verge of becoming only fourth Briton after Sir Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Jim Clark to win two world titles. “Where’s Nico?” asks the commentator. “Down at 14th!” comes the reply. One can’t help but feel sad for Rosberg. So close yet so far. But that is how life goes. Alain Prost lost the title to Niki Lauda by half a point in 1984. Hamilton crosses the chequered flag for his 11th season win. But it’s the one that matters the most!

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. An apt phrase to describe the events in Abu Dhabi and Lille on the evening of November 23, 2014. Not only have Roger Federer and Lewis Hamilton gone through adverse circumstances in their careers, but both have also had to withstand the test of time and fend off critics. When they were at their lowest lows in life, the only thing that kept them going was the passion of the sport, the limitless talent they possess and the determination to take what’s theirs.

One might be going through the toughest of phases and there might be times when the light at the end of the tunnel might just be a mirage. At the end of day, however, persistence pays off because no one can stop champions getting their due. “Cometh the hour, cometh the man.” Well said Gladwin, well said!

Sebastian Vettel – The ‘Contract’ Killer!

Contracts, Shmontracts!

That’s what Paula Malai Ali had to say when she was asked to give her views on Sebastian Vettel’s imminent move to Ferrari. Can’t blame her anger, can we? Come to think about it contracts in any sport mean nothing if the right ‘amount’ of money is involved. Contracts have become the allegory equivalent of Novy Kapadia’s football commentary. We know that it is there, but does it really make a difference?

Football sees players signing 5-year multi mega deals every season only to leave 6 months later. Kind of a bummer, isn’t it? I mean why go through all the trouble and spend all that money just to have someone sign something that means nothing if, and when, someone else lures the said someone away by means of showering something (moolah) at ease? The answer – things need to be professional.

Okay! I guess it makes sense to an extent. I mean it’s kind of like a binding obligation that people need to respect in order to function in a civilized manner. It’s kind of like you washing your hands after using the toilet. It’s not necessary, but it’s advisable. But then why leave room for loopholes? Why have release clauses, buy-back clauses and all types of god forsaken clauses that are firm to suck happiness?

The answer to that might lie in the egocentric need of every individual to gain what’s best of a situation. All it took was a meticulously inserted clause in a sheet of paper called a “contract” and Vettel had an out. For Red Bull’s interest, I hope they too had some kind of a ridiculously repugnant clause that would guarantee them some kind of solace as well. Wait a minute. Of course they had. It was money! Right?

Now while Vettel’s move to Ferrari has still not been ‘officially’ confirmed, I guess because the “contract” must not have been signed, it’s just a matter of time that it will be. But what needs to be emphasized and scrutinized in the interim is the reason why the 4-time Formula 1 world champion decided to call it quits with Red Bull and decide that he wanted to ruin my team Ferrari for me.

Vettel seems to be at his diplomatic best when he said that the reason behind his leaving was that he wanted to "do something else, something new". Those are his exact words by the way. When loosely translated into simple English it means, “Fuck you Red Bull you couldn’t help me win those record-equaling 5 straight world titles you promised and therefore I’m off to do the implausible elsewhere.”

Not that he’s going to have any luck with Ferrari either. The Italian team are struggling themselves and run the risk of finishing outside the top three in the constructors’ championship for the first time since 1993. The last time Ferrari had a driver’s champion was in 2007 when Kimi ‘the iceman’ Raikkonen won. Mercedes on the other hand seem to have sorted their car out well for 2015 and it does not look likely that Ferrari would be able to match their ERS capabilities and present Vettel with a title-winning car.

Hmm! Okay! So if Vettel is smart enough he would obviously know that he won’t be winning anything for at least one more season. Unless of course if Ferrari pull off a Brawn. In that case Ferrari with Raikkonen and Vettel would be the undisputed coequal of Liverpool fielding Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo together. Possible? All right! I got carried away there. But you get the gist of what I’m saying.

Coming back to the “something else, something new” expression, Vettel, who in exemplary fashion, has rewarded the team that made him what he is today ever since being spotted as a 12-year old nothing has failed to comprehend that no one is naive enough to fall for his jinky antics anymore. Especially not this late into the season.

What does “doing something else, something new” even mean? He got bored of racing with Red Bull? Or was it the fact that the shade of navy blue makes him look fat? Maybe red is the color for glory (ahem Liverpool). Tell me Seb! I’m dying to know what the phrase means. Because what I feel is that the one season that a rival teams literally blows the wind out of your sails you decide that you’ve had enough.

“It’s not a decision based on the current results, it’s more a voice inside me that kept growing and it’s a step that I’m very much looking forward to,” Vettel said.

Was that voice Daniel Ricciardo’s? Because to be overshadowed, by a newbie nonetheless, in stunning manner after exhibiting an aura of gnarly dominance would definitely be a hard bullet for Sebastian to swallow. A guy jumping from Torro Rosso and eclipsing a champion who has won the world title 4 times on the trot was an occurrence that none in the fraternity would have dared to call. Another year of such “debasing” and Vettel would have considered retirement.

So what was left to do? Move to a team that is synonymous with and is an epitome of Formula 1 at a time when it wants you more than you want it. Maybe that answers the “something else” part. I’m still having a hard time coming to terms with the “something new” part especially because Sebastian Vettel at 27 years of age seems to have done most of the things that any Formula 1 driver could dream of.

And as much as it hurts me to agree, he has been one helluva driver. People might say that Red Bull gave him a great car and that he was just a puppet in the cockpit following orders and being given the right instructions to do the right things at the right time, but in all fairness his records speak for themselves.

He was the youngest driver  to drive at a Grand Prix, the youngest Grand Prix pole position winner, the youngest Grand Prix winner, the youngest Formula One world champion, the youngest driver to bag a podium position, the youngest driver to score a grand slam (pole position, win, fastest lap, and led every lap) – which sadly was at the 2011 Indian Grand Prix – and many many more ‘young’ records.

In addition, Vettel currently holds the records for most championship points earned in a season, the most podium finishes in a season, the most starts from front row in a season, the most wins in a season, the most pole positions in a season, the most laps led in a season, the most consecutive wins, the most wins from pole position in a season and numerous other achievements.

Please note that I’ve left out most of his other records because it was kind of getting depressing, distressing, discouraging and dispiriting to write a note about his superiority and find out that he actually came quite close to becoming the greatest of all time. If only Mercedes had not decided that enough was enough and it’s time to “recover” some long-lost “energy”.

Hence, what I’ve understood from this is that the “something else, something new” a guy with Sebastian Vettel’s “always-wanting-to-win-and-sulking-when-losing façade” can do, with a team that has been struggling for the past seven years in a sport that it has made itself tantamount with, is -------------------------- Kill another “Contract”! J

When Coincidence Meets Controversy!

At a time when the whole world is struggling to come to terms with the fact that Roger Federer lost to Marin Cilic in straight sets at the US Open semifinal, I don’t know what is more distressing - the advertisement of that ludicrous Akshay Kumar show Dare 2 Dance or the fact that my channel is still airing a show called ‘Motorsports & Petronas’ that shows Mercedes teammates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton chatting around having gala time and playing like kids with remote-controlled racecars.

Agreed that the show was shot before the Belgian Grand Prix with an aim to target the lighter side of Formula 1, but it’s just downright disturbing to see two drivers faking out a friendship. Let’s not get things wrong, they were good friends in the past. But the key word to note in that previous sentence is ‘were’. The same is no longer true now and as a preacher since times immemorial of the certitude that F1 is not a team sport, I would like to take this opportunity to shout out loud and say “Ha! Told Ya So!”

The timeline, if one was to draft such a thing, of the rivalry between Hamilton and Rosberg clearly can be depicted with a downward slope graph on an x-y axis with the horizontal line representing “time” and the vertical line representing “trust”. And as an ardent Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen fan I should be jubilant to see such a graph for a rival team. But unfortunately am not. Maybe it’s because I have developed a slight liking for Mercedes (Not because of their car; but because they finally broke Sebastian Vettel’s championship winning streak and halted Red Bull’s ridiculously boring dominance).

It all started at the Bahrain Grand Prix when a riveting duel saw Rosberg, though being on pole position, squander the summit to an over-aggressive and "out-of-line" Hamilton who piloted his Mercedes home with sheer brilliance and notch up his second win of the season.

Next up was Monaco where defending champion Rosberg brought Hamilton's 4-race winning streak to an end. Nothing wrong in that I suppose. Of course that is only if one is willing to naively overlook the Qualification botch where the German "conveniently" went off a corner in Q3 with less than 10 seconds left to force a yellow flag and disallow Hamilton's (who was faster till that point) time.

The Canadian Grand Prix saw both drivers, who despite being sternly warned by team officials, push each other to such an extent that Hamilton was forced to retire due to overheating brakes and Rosberg eventually ended up frittering the lead to Daniel Ricciardo as his Mercedes "ran out" of power.

The Hungarian Grand Prix, where Hamilton defied team orders and did not let Rosberg pass ahead, forced Mercedes to come out and announce that they’ll let both drivers loose for them to carry on with their ‘impending’ battle. Good job! Only the move came a Grand Prix too late guys.

The Belgian Grand Prix, where ‘point-proving’ Rosberg felt that sabotaging Hamilton was probably the best way to be taken seriously as a driver, forced the silver arrows to condemn the Monaco-born German driver and in an unprecedented move declare that a punishment was in order.

And finally the Italian Grand Prix, where Rosberg expediently overshot the same chicane twice (once in practice and once during the race) in order for Hamilton to snatch victory, made the team say it out loud that both drivers were in fact ‘like enemies’. Throw in an evil laugh there and we have a melodrama folks!

Okay! Am I the only one who on joining all the dots gets a rat?

Clearly this rivalry has now reached all together a whole different level, which is something that no one in the fraternity anticipated at the start. In a sport where, conventionally speaking, drivers in a team should be trusting each other blindly, the Mercedes duo are now in a position where they’ll have to double check their backs even in an 1-2 situation. I guess it was just a matter of time when deliberately driving into teammates at speeds in excess of 300 kilometers an hour for revenge would strategically be part of the package.

To top it all off, Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff recently went on record to state that it would have been next to impossible to execute the events of Monza deliberately suggesting that the claims of a conspiracy theory being in place to recompense Rosberg for Spa were completely baseless.

All right! Fair enough. But riddle me this, will you? Considering that there is no technical or mechanical reason behind it, how does one explain a driver as experienced as Rosberg overshooting a chicane not once but twice in a race that was as crucial (in terms of points) as Monza at a time when a ‘retribution’ was in order?

The answer from Wolff – “It’s bizarre!”

Well, it could indeed be a coincidence and maybe I’m just being too paranoid in imagining things. But let’s face it the sport is indeed more interesting this way (wink wink). Also, the reason why I’m not in any mood to sideline these events as “coincidence” is because it’s happened one too many times now and the timings of those events impeccably suggest a devious master plan in implementation.

Formula 1 has indeed witnessed its share of intra-team battles like Aryton Senna v Alain Prost, Fernando Alonso v Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel v Mark Webber in the past. But what makes this one so different and peevish at the same time is the ‘denial’ from all parties. Whether its Facebook posts that suggest all is well in the camp or Instagram pictures that show a friendly ‘photo-bomb’, every eventuality is marked with a tinge of suspicion and is followed by something that negates everything.

Hamilton’s emotional Facebook/Twitter picture in the aftermath of Monaco showing Rosberg and him during their go-karting days was swiftly followed by Hungary where unlike go-karting team orders and radio messages created havoc. The Mercedes tweet rendering an ‘all-is-hunki-dory’ image with a Hamilton photo-bomb preceded Canada where ironically Rosberg portrayed an ‘I won’t be intimidated’ image for himself. And of course Mercedes’ detailed explanation that everything was under ‘control’ happened just before Italy.

Needless to say the person who seems to be most affected by all the happenings is Nico Rosberg. Not only does he have the ‘rich boy’ image going against him, he also has to compete against an aura as radiant as Lewis Hamilton’s. Truly it’s the fans that make or break an F1 driver and everyone knows who everyone supports because without doubt if compared Hamilton is the more talented among the two.

And if one was to read the signs as given by Rosberg, one would have no doubts in deciphering that even Rosberg knows who the better driver is. If you don’t believe me just shoot back to May and relive the Monaco Grand Prix qualification fiasco. Ahem! Another coincidence, right!? Of course!

All in all keeping aside all the controversies and the dissensions, the thing that is keeping Mercedes so neurotically calm and composed in this whole affair is that they’re facing no major threats, as of yet, to the constructors’ championship. They can afford the “egocentric” luxury to have the drivers have a go at it as long as the team points keep coming in.

It would have been interesting to see whether such attitude would have been in place had Hungary, Belgium and Italy been the first three races of the season or if all three races would have witnessed both drivers retiring without scoring points.

However, that coincidence would have been too much to ask for a F1 enthusiast!

Mercedes – Formula 1’s double-edged sword

The great Michael Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” Makes sense, doesn’t it? However, what the great Jordan failed to comprehend is that there will come a time when a certain Formula 1 team would prove that his quote was incomplete and undone. Mercedes has cleverly transformed Jordan’s quote as “Exploit talent intelligently to win championships and then term it as teamwork.”

I’ve been a firm believer of the fact that F1 is not and will never ever be a team sport. Those who think differently either do not understand the sport or quite frankly don’t give a damn about what is happening on the tracks. Time and again there have been numerous instances that prove this hypothesis and recently conspired events at the Hungary Grand Prix substantiate the statistic more.

The mistake that Mercedes made at the Hungaroring was not in giving Lewis Hamilton a lousy call but in making any call at all. Although I have no reason whatsoever to challenge Mercedes’ or any team’s orders during a race, but for Christ’s sake stop pretending all the time that both drivers mean the world to the team. Even If I take into consideration that Nico Rosberg was on faster tyres, he would have eventually pitted that would have jeopardized both his and Hamilton’s chances to get on the podium.

I’ll be honest, it is indeed an improbable task to be too critical of a team who with their immaculate cars and faultless strategies have totally dominated the 2014 Formula One season; but when a time comes that people talk more about why a team did what it did instead of appreciating and admiring a driver’s phenomenal exploits of a car and the circuit, the criticism is bound to flow.

Hamilton drove one of the most gruesome and impeccable races of his career at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Anyone watching would agree in a breath of a moment that the Brit executed a quintessential balance between ruthless grit and unblemished talent in his pitlane to podium drive. Not to forget he started on a wet track that was marred with crashes almost as soon as the race began as the drivers clearly failed to alter the strategies that were put in place during the scorching practice runs.

And that is where the idiosyncrasies come into play.

With the constructors’ and drivers’ championships pretty much in the bag for the Silver Arrows, a race in which they should have been taking pride courtesy Hamilton’s bustling performance was instead tainted due to their controversial call in asking Hamilton to make way for teammate Rosberg.

Now one can never clearly understand the logic behind any team order. Some say they are given to benefit a team, while others bring in a more ticklish angle into play that says a driver is being favoured. The call that Mercedes made was actually one of the most devious and at the same time clever in its execution. It was clearly a well thought-off move and was implemented in such a manner that anyone scrutinizing the decision at a later stage would be in a quandary about the motive behind the call. I know I am! But years of experience, and witnessing some of the dirtiest F1 moves in history, has made me quite cynical whenever a driver is asked to forego his position and let a ‘rival’ pass through.

If one was to take Mercedes’ side in this whole fiasco, one would say that the team wanted to cement its championship chances by trying to get both Rosberg and Hamilton on the podium. The German-based outfit obviously thought that Rosberg had a better chance at winning the race as he was on faster tyres and were confident enough that Hamilton would be competent enough to steal the podium from either Fernando Alonso or Daniel Ricciardo.

All right! Time to burst the bubble.

Mercedes, at the time of the race, were 174 points ahead of Red Bull, their closest competitor, in the constructors’ championship. Considering that they had the best car at the starting of the season and bearing in mind that they still have the best car after the mid-season Silverstone tests, only a fool would be falling for the lame excuse that ‘the championship race is still open’.

Secondly, even if Hamilton had allowed Rosberg to pass through, there was no chance whatsoever for the German-born Monaco resident to be spraying the champagne when the smoke cleared out. Why? Because considering that circumstances that the race was being raced in, he would have eventually pitted. Just for the record, Mercedes’ “team order” came on the 51st lap with a good 19 laps still left and did I mention that it was raining?

Thirdly, ignoring the blasphemous fact Mercedes’ flawed order was given to Hamilton at a time when his teammate was not even within DRS range, had Hamilton allowed Rosberg to pass through then Hamilton would have dropped to 5th on the grid and there was a next to impossible chance that either Ricciardo or Alonso would have ‘not’ ended on the podium. Hence, at the end of the whole stratagem we would still have had just one Mercedes driver on the podium.

Mercedes’ non-executive chairman Niki Lauda had gone off the record earlier in the season and mentioned that the Silver Arrows would let their dynamic duo ‘loose’ and ‘fight it out’ once the team title hopes are secured. Well, at present, if there’s anything that is secure it is the constructors’ championship. The drivers’ race is still open and therefore one cannot blame Hamilton on any way for doing what he did.

If anything, that Mercedes strategy should have been implemented before the Hungary Grand Prix.

Meanwhile, Hamilton is undeterred by the happenings in Hungary and is standing firm on his decision not to move aside for Rosberg. “It is not questioning authority,” he said. “I am hired to race and bring in points for the team. I am also hired to be me, and race my heart out. I did not start at the front of the pack. I started from the pitlane, so in my mind I cannot afford to lose anything else.”

Well said Lewis! You started from the pits on a track what was not meant to see a wet race with a car that was built overnight due to a qualifying fire attack. To top it all off you barged your way up and at one stage were even leading the race. No one had the authority to question your audacity.

Yet in the end, people are still talking about Mercedes, people are still questioning your ‘irrationality’, people are still wondering whether Nico could have actually ended up winning the race, and I am writing about it all.

Sorry Lewis! It’s a cruel world indeed

In Formula 1, two flints indeed start a fire!

It’s been an interesting Formula 1 season thus far. Despite the fact that Mercedes, led by Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, have dominated 6 out of the 7 races, one can argue the fact that the season is still quite open.  However, Mercedes’ unprecedented dominance is not what makes the season stimulating. We’ve had teams dominate F1 in the past. It’s not something that is new. The Ferraris, the Renaults, the Brawns, the Red Bulls, etc have all been there done that. What makes this season one to watch right till the end is that it’s yet again encouraging the “whether F1 is a team sport or not” debate in probably the most intriguing manner possible.

Ever since the inception of the sport and the controversies that came along with it, there have been numerous discussions about the same. Generally there is always this one team every season that has to deal the frustrating problem of managing two “hotshot” drivers. However, with the events that conspired at the Malaysian Grand Prix at the starting of the season and those at the recently-concluded Canadian Grand Prix, one can safely arrive at the conclusion that this season there definitely is more than one team that is facing this conundrum.

 Interestingly, when the current season started, people thought (nay believed) that the team this season bound to be faced with “team-order issues” is going to be Ferrari. And who can blame their thinking. Fernando Alonso teaming up with the ‘Iceman’ Kimi Raikkonen would make any F1 fanatic jump up and feel that it was just a combination waiting to explode and cause chemical chaos. After all, it was Alonso’s arrival that proved to be the catalyst in Kimi’s leaving Ferrari in the first place. Both can be cocky and neither would settle for being designated as the “number 2” driver. Both drivers have statistics that speak volumes about their illustrious careers in F1. And the cherry that tops it all off is the fact that they both were racing for a team called “Ferrari”, whose history when it comes to teamwork is quite “brilliant” in itself. But, the 2014 season painted a much altered image of what one had in mind.

Enter Mercedes - the team that dominated the pre-season testing with their hybrid engine technology. The team knew clearly that this technological advancement would put the Silver Arrows right at the top. They knew that this was going to be their season to lose. And worst of all, Hamilton and Rosberg knew that they’ve been blessed with a car that could make them start dreaming again. Hamilton, who won the 2008 drivers’ championship by a single point, would surely want to bask in that glory again. And of course Rosberg, who we all know is one the most hardworking drivers on the circuit, would surely like to get a taste of being called world champion. Hence, back came the problem. Who was going to be No. 1?

 See the thing with Formula 1 “teams” is that they actually intend to function as a team to win championships by exploiting individual talents. Therefore, every team that has a limited budget would always designate their two drivers as No. 1 and No. 2. The No. 1 driver of course would be given the better car, would be given more attention and would be the “hero” for whom the No. 2 would have to always make sacrifices. And that is where every team is faced with the moral dilemma of who’s what.

No team on the face of it would come out openly and say that “X” is the No. 1 driver and “Y” is No. 2. It is unethical, immoral and quite frankly illegal to some extent as well. What they do on the other hand is to pull off certain strategies and make it sound like it’s a “team order” meant for the benefit of both drivers. For instance, at the Malaysian Grand Prix this season Williams driver Felipe Massa was clearly told on the radio to let his teammate Valtteri Bottas, who was just one spot behind and on “better tyres”, pass ahead because apparently Bottas had a shot at overtaking the driver in front of Massa.

So let’s get one thing straight, shall we? Team orders in Formula 1 are clearly meant for creating a pecking order between the drivers in a team so that they don’t run the risk of not finishing their individual races or end up colliding with each other. What cannot (or rather should not) be done is to camouflage drivers preferences/designations with team orders. When the drivers are out there racing, it’s every man for himself. They need to worry about the drivers’ championship and the team needs to worry about the constructors’ championship. What cannot be (and again should not) be done is the team worrying about the drivers’ championship. Because that is where priorities are set and predilections are created.

Let’s take another example and come back to the point I made earlier about Ferrari having a “brilliant” history when it comes to team orders. At the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix Rubens Barrichello, who had led the race for majority of the laps, was ordered at the very last lap on the radio to let teammate Michael Schumacher pass in order for Schumi to have a better chance at competing for the drivers’ championship. Thinking about the situation objectively, it would have in no way hindered Ferrari’s position in the constructors’ championship had Barrichello won the race. It would still have been a 1-2 finish for the team. And therefore, this event clearly brought out the driver designation theory in open.

Another appalling incident happened at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix when Renault implemented the “team order” loophole to order Nelson Piquet Jr. to deliberately crash his car as the same would then result in a safety car being called on the track and would in return allow teammate Fernando Alonso to cruise through to victory without having anyone bothering him for overtaking. Nowadays, however, the thing that is of concern is that it is the drivers who want to be in control. They are no longer listening to these “team orders” because everyone is insecure beyond limit and almost every driver feels the only reason why the team is passing a certain order is because it, in some discreet manner, is favoring the other driver.

 And that is where the 2014 Formula 1 season comes into play with its captivating happenings. The recently-concluded Canadian Grand Prix was probably the most enthralling of all races this season. It was event-packed and full of drama ever since the five lights went out. As usual Mercedes led the rest of the pack with its impeccable driving. Rosberg was leading Hamilton and Mercedes were all set to bag their seventh 1-2 finish on the trot. However, somewhere around the 30-35 lap some interesting events started to churn up.

Mercedes, who quite frankly have been struggling the whole season with handling Rosberg and Hamilton, issued a “genuine” team order that politely asked both drivers to not exert too much pressure on their cars and save energy for ERS implementation. The order was perfectly in line with the rules as it focused on the team’s benefits and not the drivers’. But the Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry that had been waiting to explode ever since the qualifying fiasco at the Monaco Grand Prix proved to overshadow the authority. As a result, Hamilton had to retire at the fag end with a brake snag while Rosberg ended up surrendering his number 1 spot to Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

Keeping in mind the famous saying that goes “it takes two to tango”, the problem does not just lie with F1 teams issuing driver-specific orders discreetly in the form of “team orders”. The problem is much more beyond that. It goes as deep as the teams being helpless in front of the drivers. It goes as deep as the teams feeling the need to favor a certain driver so that his image can bring in the moolah. And it goes as deep as the team encouraging this great drama that promotes the sport in a more enchanting manner. The question remains though – whose ‘flint’ are you on?

The Day I Felt the Force..

It was just another “regular” Monday. For the rest of the world the day was a distressing reminder that the week had just begun. It was another disconcerting aide-memoire that the weekend had just finished, Monday had come and Friday was an eternity away. 

Of course, I wasn’t feeling the blues because let’s face it my job has no blues. There are days when I just long to get out of bed and head straight to work. There are days when I want to stay back in office and work another 12 hours. And considering the recent events that happened to me, there are days when I want to be in office 24/7/365. (I know.. Get a ‘life’ Mori.. Right?)

So anyways, coming back to Monday. We (my two colleagues and I) were sitting in office doing the unvarying routine and a part of me for some reason was feeling a little perturbed. Don’t know why, but I wanted to go home. I wanted to be home as soon as possible. In fact, earlier that day I was contemplating not coming to office at all. I almost called in sick. But somehow something got me going and I came to office. I now know that had I missed office that day, I would have never ever forgiven myself. Regret and depression would have ruled my mind forever.

The time was a little over 17:00hrs. It was time for our daily trip to the Cafeteria for coffee and snacks when suddenly a Sania Mirza story forced us to stay back a little longer. Not a problem. That’s what the job description is. But suddenly one of my colleagues came bursting through the door saying that “someone” had come outside. 

I opened the door and checked outside. And, almost immediately, multiple things started happening to me. I wanted to scream, but I was completely out of breath. I wanted to run out, but my legs started to shiver for God knows what reason. I wanted to keep staring, but I’m pretty sure that I went partially blind for 10 minutes. Because right outside were the Formula 1 team Sahara Force India’s drivers Adrian Sutil and Paul Di Resta.

I know that I’m a journalist now and all these things are supposed to be “routine” for me. But come on man, Sutil and Di Resta were standing right outside the door. It was one of those magical moments that you want to relive over and over again. I’ve been an avid follower of Formula 1 for quite some time now. I’ve been to the inaugural Indian Grand Prix.  And this was indeed a breathtaking moment. I wanted to talk to them, wanted to know how they think, wanted to get their views on India, wanted to know what they felt about Sebastian Vettel, etc etc etc. My questions would have been endless. I would have talked the night away with them. But I knew that such a thing was not possible. I was not there yet.

So my senior colleague and I walk out the door and all I can see is Paul Di Resta’s face. Adrian Sutil and his girlfriend, who I now know is Jenifer Becks, were busy clicking photos with the other journalists. Suddenly, I had this gush of adrenalin just pumped into me from heavens above. I went straight up to Paul, who was talking to a sports journalist I guess, and interrupted their conversation. I said: “Hi Paul, Big Fan”.. He replied: “Thanks Mate” and we shook hands. I almost sank in right there on the floor. That moment was legendary. I had just interacted with my first ever Sports Personality. Di Resta, even though has not been successful in F1 to that extent, is however credited with beating Vettel for the Formula 3 title.

That was it I felt. I thought at that instant that the magic was dead after just 5 seconds. We walked to the elevators and were looking to head down to the Cafe and I was all down in the dumps full of gloom and melancholy. Suddenly, Sutil, Becks, Di Resta and a fourth person walked out the hallway and made their way to the elevators. I knew that this was God’s way of telling me that “Dude, grow up and go freaking click a photograph with those F1 legends.” I went up to Adrian and said: “Hi Adrian.. Big Fan.. All the Best for Indian GP..” He replied: “Oh Thank You.. I’ll need it..” We shook hands and I asked him: “Can I get a picture with you?” He said: “Sure Mate”..

In full excitement I handed my 12.1 megapixel camera phone to my senior colleague, who thank heavens used his Xolo phone to click the photo instead. Otherwise who knows how long I would have had to stand there looking like a fool just waiting for the Bullshit camera on Sony Xperia S to focus me with Sutil.

So there we were. Adrian Sutil and I. Standing together to be clicked. A moment that will be talked about in my family for generations. (At least I’ll never let this moment grow old). My Son is one day going to hear the epic tale of how his father took a photograph with an F1 driver. While we were standing there, I specifically remember that I had no idea what I wanted to do with my hands. I first folded them, then I took them behind and till the time that I tried a third position, my legs started to shiver. Finally I saw the flash click that ended me of my misery. I thanked Adrian once again and wished him luck.

Standing just behind him was Di Resta. I asked him for a photograph as well. He said: “Sure Mate”. This time I was much used to the pressure of standing with a celebrity. Click. It happened in no time. I would like to thank my senior colleague and his Xolo phone for all the support rendered. History was made. The photos are going to be framed and be hung on top of my bed. No matter what anyone says, no matter how bad I look in those photographs, I will always cherish those epic reminders of the legendary moment I shared with Sahara Force India.

It’s really strange how things work out, isn’t it? With the events that transpired on October 21, 2013, I’m now a firm believer in Destiny. Whatever has to happen, will definitely happen. No one can stop the inevitable. If it’s written, then no force on earth of heaven can stop it from occurring. I almost didn’t go to office that day but in the end I did and it turned out to be one of the most proud moments of my life. It instilled upon me that positive energy that I’m not wasting my life. It inspired me to such extents that I’ll never give up on that “hunger” to grow and be happy. Life is waiting for me to enjoy it. And that’s what I’m gonna do now.

It was a day that changed me.. It was a day when I “felt the force”..