One Hot Columbian...

So our trek to indy for the annual F1 race and visiting with Uncle Joe has come and gone. The drive there took 10 hours and the drive back 9. On the way back I drove from 9pm - 3:30 am. Coincidence we got back quicker ... I think not ;)

Formula 1 is the world's premier autoracing event. This is NOT Nascar, there are left & right hand turns people. From wikipedia... "Formula One, abbreviated to F1, and also known as Grand Prix racing, (that's Gran Preeee) is the highest class of single-seat open-wheel formula auto racing in the world. The "formula" in the name is a set of rules which all participants and cars must meet. The F1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held in most cases on purpose-built circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets." Monaco is quite exciting ... they literally race through the streets of the tiny principality ... but a little out of my price range. My yacht is not quite ready for its debut.

Regardless, F1 drivers are renowned to be the best in the world. There are 22 of them. Very select group routinely doing 200+ mph around the track. Remember ... left and right turns. Since F1 came back to the US in 2000 we have been season ticket holders. Hubby has attended all 6 races since. I've been to 3. It is always a good time. Piece of trivia: Flavio Briatore, principle/CEO of the F1 Renault team, is the father of Heidi Klum's first child.

Anyway, I digress. I won't say I am surprised with the race results. For those who don't know I am a HUGE Juan Pablo Montoya fan. Yes, orginally I picked him because he is hot (evolution works in mysterious ways) but I stick with him because he is a firey, take no bullshit, hot, take no prisoners, don't f with me, did I mention hot, Columbian. So what he 5'6. Well, JPM and 7 other drivers went out in glorious fashion on LAP 1, Turn 1. JPM was in the middle of the pack, starting in 11th position. Not quite a place he's used to being. Both McLaren Mercedes were taken out with the carnage so there went my plan & my back-up plan.

Next year Kimi (the other McLaren Mercedes driver) is off my list of loves as he moves to Renault. I know its the in thing to be a fan of Renault as proven by the SEA of light blue & yellow that was evident this year that was not so noticable last. Funny how a dominant driver attracts fans. STILL...No matter what I stick with JPM. Even if they send him back to Cart. I stick by him. Besides, he'd dominate AGAIN in Cart.

Of course the blame game has begun. Many pointing the finger at JPM. I say sometimes with Big cojones comes BIG mistakes. Not that I am entirely convinced it was his mistake. You have 6 cars abreast on a tight turn and no one giving an inch, trouble is bound to ensue. Juan says Kimi broke a bit harder than expected. Kimi was having brake problems, with his lines bled and re-filled with minutes to race time. There is no telling. Regardless, it was sad!!! Especially after the tire fiasco last year. 2 years running and less than a lap of JPM! I am suffering withdrawl.

On the positive side we had our same great seats. Northwest Vista all the way to the top -you get to see the straight and turns 1-6 or so. In most sports top row is not ideal, in auto racing it is primo. 1 - There was shade and 2 - You can see so much more and 3 - You can lean back stand up and yell SOB as much as you need to when said wreck occurs. I will say at least we had a great vantage point for the crash. It was quite spectacular with Heidfeld going airborn for about 6 flips. It was UGLY. It was just one of those things. Hey at least there was a race. But I HATE Ferrari. So the end result didn't make me happy. Though I am not sure it would have turned out any differently with 22 running instead of 15 from the start. Ferrari was just on fire.

So here's my theory and I know its pretty brutal. Make those F1 cars a little less safe. They are so safe now that you can have an 8 car pile-up and the worst thing that happens is I cry. Maybe a little sore, but everyone (including mister 6 rotations) walks away. No no no I don't want people to die. I am just saying if there was a bit more at risk maybe they'd not be so balls-out.