We are less than a week away from the first race of the 2007 season. Pre-season testing is over. It is that time of the year again when every other F1 fan is discussing who will be the next F1 world champion.
For the past few weeks, I have been asking myself the same question that ended up as this post’s title. It is about the driver who has constantly topped the time charts during pre-season: Is Felipe Massa going to be the next F1 world champion? Of course no one can be 100% sure of such answer. All I could do was to come up with a logical approach. If real life is then illogical, as many times it is, things may change – but at least logic gave a starting point.
From what I know about Formula One and logic, the answer is simple.
Yes, Felipe Massa will be the 2007 F1 world champion.
So easy to say, yet so shocking. At first thought, the response by the logical approach would be either Fernando Alonso – 2005 and 2006 champion – or Kimi Raikkonen – 2003 and 2005 runner-up. Further analysis points to
Let’s take the step-by-step method to show how I came up with this answer. I will divide the response in match-ups with the other title contenders. If
Match-up #1:
Ferrari will be the team to beat in 2007. The second half of 2006 and 2007 pre-season has shown that. I believe Ferrari will be the constructor champion – for more on that, check out my post ‘What about McLaren?’. If I am right, this is the key match-up for the drivers championship:
I believe
Maybe it is just the press, but the fact that Raikkonen is told to be partying and drinking every other week does not seem to be a good thing. This blog is not about protesting against alcohol, but I have not heard about any recent champion athlete who drank half as much as Raikkonen is told to drink. Even if it is not entirely true, the fact that the press states it is will bother Kimi at some point. Felipe does not have this type of distraction in his quest for the championship.
Match-up #2:
Both
Since both are - in my opinion - equally fast, and
Note: I will not compare him to the less experienced
Match-up #3:
This match-up should be versus both Renault drivers. But I think Kovalainen will be faster, and
Match-up #4:
Who else could be champion? Kubica or Heidfeld and the surprising BMW? They still have reliability problems that will cost them a few points. They will surprise at some races, but will disappoint in many others.
No one else seems to have a car good enough to consistently beat Ferrari. Not Honda, not
The bottom line
--Andre N.
2 comments:
I stand by you in your comments. I do believe that Massa will be on the top this year.
I hope you are right!!! Although Massa had a problem in the first race, I do believe that he will win this season…. but it is very important for him, to stay in front of Kimi in the beginning of the year, otherwise Ferrari will consider Massa as the second driver.
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