THE BATTLE WE ALL WANTED
Formula 1 delivered another compelling race in Portugal last weekend, but it was a very different type of contest than we had been served up in the opening two races of the season. It might not have provided the corner-by-corner thrills that Imola did, for example, but it certainly had fans on the edge of their seats throughout. It was one of those grands prix that relied heavily on having the perfect strategy as much as it did on having a particularly heavy right foot. The chess match was enthralling, as was Lewis Hamilton’s mastery of all that was in front of him. This might not go down as one of his most memorable victories, but it is these types of grand prix where the Briton is able to exercise his art at its finest.
A long, long way into the race, the TV cameras were able to capture the top three in the race in a single shot. That hasn’t been the case for a long while and that is something that all fans of the discipline should relish. This will be a great season and will ebb and flow as different circuits suit the differing abilities of each chassis. It would take a brave person to nail their colours to any drivers’ mast when determining who is the likely favourite for the title. That is what makes the rest of the season such an exciting prospect.
Elsewhere in Motorsport News this week, our Q&A guest is Kelvin Fletcher. The housewife’s favourite isn’t merely a star name dabbling at motorsport. His passion is clear in his answers to Graham Keilloh as is his vision for a long-term future in the discipline. The interview starts on page 14.
Fletcher is looking ahead, and so are we. Paul Lawrence is our guide to the forthcoming British Hillclimb Championship, which pitches some superbly talented drivers against each other in some truly mouth-watering machines.
Hal Ridge is your guide looking ahead to the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross contest, which gets underway this weekend at the spiritual home of rallycross, Lydden Hill in Kent.
Also blasting into life this weekend is the eagerlyawaited British Touring Car Championship. The 29 entrants will have a baptism of fire at the super-fast Thruxton circuit, and we look at the five stars who are ready to write the headlines. To find out how all of these battles are resolved, don’t forget to pick up
Motorsport News next week.