I have no idea if that's actually possible, y'know, having an endorphine-high, but that's what it feels like and the phrase high on endorphines must have come from somewhere. I am blissfully smiling 94% of the time today, mainly in response to the vivid images in my head but to the outside world, it would definitely appear as if I am grinning without reason to anyone and everyone. I am most likely giving off a mentally unsound vibe, no disrespect meant to people with mental health issues. Vivid, happy, images. No, it's nothing dirty or erotic. It's just replays of the Bahrain GP that was on late yesterday afternoon where Ferrari finally broke their duck (read: pointless streak) with an inspiring and also, according to F1 commentator Steve Slater,
heroicdrive by my F1 pilot Kimi Raikkonen.
Yea. Yes, it's true, I am relaxed and ecstatically happy because Ferrari managed to get on the scoreboard largely due to Kimi's amazing driving. Forget the past week where I nearly drove myself crazy with all the googling and negative press I was reading. Forget the desperate mid-week sanity-saving, self-imposed ban on all F1 news till qualis on Saturday. All that has been erased with the roughly 2 hour race at the desert circuit of Bahrain. I have not seen this Kimi in a long time and watching him drive on Sunday brought back the best memories of his superior driving abilities. The man was so on form it has me grinning stupidly for more than 24 hours, I actually woke up smiling about it. I think a psychotherapist would find me an intriguing subject. I mean, who actually hinges their happiness on the outcome of a Formula 1 race? Who actually feels as if the cosmic chakras are aligned magnificently when a Formula 1 driver goes around and around a circuit for 57 laps and ends up finishing sixth? Me, that's who! So yea, I am in a euphoric state and am bestowing the people all around me with sincere and slightly manic-looking grins. God, I am a nutter, I told you I'm obsessed :D
But the fact remains, Ferrari finally managed to erase that zero and have their 3 points in hand before the season goes to Europe. Granted, finishing sixth is not winning but looking at their recent performance and with reliability and strategy issues constantly being called into question, it is with a huge sigh of relief for Ferrari fans everywhere that Kimi and the team pulled through with the 3 points. Yes, the car is lacking the speed and reliability while facing problems with a dodgy KERS system but it all came together for Kimi and despite seeing how painfully outmatched in speed the Ferrari was in comparison to the Brawns, Red Bulls, Toyotas and even the McLarens, the number 4 car on the grid still managed to keep the fast lapping car of Toyota's Timo Glock behind him to take the chequered flag in sixth. A fifth place was within grasp but during his last pit, there was a glitch with something on his front left tire which cost him precious seconds and subsequently allowed Rubens Barrichello to cross the Start/Finish line ahead of Kimi who came out marginally ahead of Timo Glock and had to fight off the Toyota's advances on the prime tires which were completely a hindrance to race pace for all cars on the grid. In F1, every point counts, you do whatever is possible, and sometimes impossible, to extract the maximum out of your car to gain those points.
However, despite Kimi's performance, Ferrari still has car woes. Quotes from Kimi post-race has revealed that although pleased with putting the team in the points, he is non-too happy with the ongoing performance issues. He was further quoted as saying that he has been around long enough to not get too excited about a sixth place finish. LOL. Funny but true. Some teams have never even scored a point so although this remark may come off as arrogant, to a racing team of Ferrari's calibre, that statement is completely on the mark. The Finn is only half of the piloting team. Felipe Massa, who was the runner-up in last year's championship is 0 for 4, retiring from 3 races thus far and classified in ninth at the torrential downpour that was the Sepang GP. It must be confounding to Felipe how badly his campaign has started this season. I'm sure he expected to pick up where last year ended, in the hunt for the driver's championship. To have such a floundering start must be a self-esteem batterer. Well, like the saying goes, what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger.
I guess some critics/pundits/people who like to comment on a racing outfits management team will likely attribute this show of improvement to the fact that Ferrari, along with Toyota and some other team I forget, conducted a bit of their winter testing in Bahrain and had the track data analyzed to within an inch of its life so they could come up with the best possible set-up come race weekend. Even if that is the main contributing factor to the Ferrari turnaround, it will still serve to raise the flagging spirits of the team and fans worldwide. Watching the qualis on Saturday, I had already noticed a Ferrari revival slowly coming together. Kimi was posting lap times up there with the current bests and was giving them a run for their money in both Q1 and Q2. Could have probably qualified higher than 10th if the team had not used up his set of fresh tires for that final push in Q3 but let's not dwell on the past. The point is come raceday, he got off the line quick and clean, boosted that KERS and managed to haul himself up to fifth in the first lap, only to have Barrichello's Brawn car overtake him on sheer speed later in that lap. He drove a good race, holding up Timo Glock in the faster car behind him and even at one point leading the race for 2 or so laps before coming in for his first pitstop. If that isn't a sign of a turnaround, I don't know what else to say. All I know that Kimi's superb drive wasn't a fluke. He took chances, he overtook, he raced smart. He drove a cool, calm, collected race, completely living up to his moniker 'Iceman', which is tattoed on his left forearm. People should stop questioning Kimi's motivation to drive. All reports agree, it was a strong sixth finish and it is looking good but tentative that the revival, for the team that is, will continue to the Spanish GP in 15 days.
Last words before I close.....bring on Barcelona!
