McLaren's Fernando Alonso declared the Formula One title race
too close to call after slashing team mate Lewis Hamilton's lead to
just two points on Sunday.
Spain's double world champion was the big beneficiary of a wet
and chaotic European Grand Prix that left 22-year-old British
rookie Hamilton and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen empty handed.
Hamilton has 70 points, Alonso 68, Ferrari's Felipe Massa 59 and
Raikkonen 52.
Alonso and Raikkonen, who started on pole position on Sunday,
have now won three races each while Hamilton and Massa have two
victories apiece.
"In the next seven races I would not put any money on any
driver. Anyone can win because the races are a bit unpredictable,"
said Alonso, who celebrates his 26th birthday before the next race
in Hungary.
Hamilton, who seemed to attract a season's worth of bad luck in
just one race, said he had learnt more in one nightmare afternoon
at the Nuerburgring than from his nine successive podium finishes
before that.
He pointed out also that, despite everything going wrong for him
including one of the heaviest crashes of his career in Saturday's
qualifying, he was still in front.
"With seven races left there's still a long way to go," he told
reporters.
"I still feel quite positive going into the next race. I'm still
leading the world championship, which I find quite amusing
considering it was such a bad weekend."
"It just shows how hard everyone else is having to push to catch
me up."
Parisian microscope
Even if he managed to emerge still smiling, the momentum is now
with his teammate in what is an even tighter four-way battle for
the crown.
That, at least, is how it looks at present. By Thursday
afternoon, thanks to events far removed from the racetrack, the
situation may be different.
All eyes are now on Paris, and a hearing of the governing
International Automobile Federation (FIA)'s world motor sport
council into a spying controversy involving McLaren and
Ferrari.
McLaren, who have suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan, are
accused of unauthorised possession of Ferrari technical information
that was allegedly found in the Briton's home.
If found guilty of fraudulent conduct, the penalties could
undermine everything that Alonso, Hamilton and the team have
achieved so far this year with talk of points deductions and even
race bans.
McLaren, who stretched their lead over Ferrari from 25 to 27
points, say there is nothing on their car that can be traced to
Ferrari.
But they are still being made to sweat.
"Whilst it would be wrong to say I look forward to Thursday,
because I'm not particularly looking forward to it, nevertheless I
am keen to get into the process of putting this behind us," team
boss Ron Dennis said.
"We have sent a full dossier into the FIA, and the FIA is going
through a process, and after that if there are any unanswered
questions then we will answer them."
(China Daily via Agencies July 24, 2007)