1. In fifteen of the last nineteen seasons - including each of the last three - the winner of the opening race of the season has gone on to win the Drivers Championship. Jenson Button is now the favourite and the best price available on him is 3/1 with Boylesports.
2. The winning team at the first Grand Prix of the season have won the Constructors Championship in seven of the last nine years. Brawn GP are still available at 11/5 with Boylesports but Ferrari, who broke this trend last season to triumph, are still favourites. The best price available on the Scuderia is 11/8 with Ladbrokes.
The FIA carried out random anti-doping tests during testing at Jerez last week (In 2005, F1 improved its drugs testing programme to meet World Anti-Doping Agency standards).
On Thursday at the Spanish circuit, Ferrari’s two race drivers, McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen and Toro Rosso new boy Sebastien Buemi had to report to the FIA transporter to supply urine samples, the Swiss newspaper Blick reported.
Buemi revealed that he was also tested at the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix, when he was a test driver for Red Bull.
“Some weeks later two physicians arrived at my parents’ house in Augle (Switzerland) at six in the morning and asked me for another sample.”
As far as we know, no F1 driver has ever failed a doping test. In 2002, F3000 driver Tomas Enge tested postitive for cannabis (yeah, that helps you drive faster); the points he was stripped of cost him the F3000 title that year.
Spanish fans desperate for Alonso to leave Renault
In a poll conducted by Spain’s Sport newspaper, an overwhelming 74% of F1 fans voted in favour of Fernando Alonso moving to Ferrari.
We have no doubt that Alonso will end up wearing the red overalls of the Scuderia, but not for another couple of seasons. If you want to make money out of Alonso, bet on him moving to Ferrari in 2011, by which time Kimi Raikkonen or Felipe Massa (possibly both) will no longer have a seat.
In other Renault-related news, Flavio Briatore has announced that he will quit F1 in two years, presumably so he can dedicate more time to his charming WAG. [Guardian]
How did F1’s best compare with the top pilots from other series? Here’s the second part of our end-of-year rankings (see part 1 here)…
5. Felipe Massa (F1)
Arguably the most improved driver of the year, the likeable Brazilian got so close to winning his first F1 drivers’ title - had he won, it would not have been undeserved. He also made the 2007 world champ - his teammate, Kimi Raikkonen - look ordinary.
Enjoy this extended footage from the 2007 Malaysian Grand Prix.
This was the second race of the season, and only the second GP of Lewis Hamilton’s F1 career. But was he overawed by Felpe Massa? Hell no. Great driving by the rookie to keep the Brazilian at bay.
For the record, Lewis finished second, behind then-teammate Fernando Alonso, with Massa in fifth.
Michael Schumacher has dismissed rumours that his protege and pal Felipe Massa joined in with Rubens’ ditty. Schumi told the German newspaper Express: “There is always plenty to drink!”
“Felipe is my friend,” Schumi added.
He had nothing to say on the state of his relationship with ex-teammate Barrichello.
At an end-of-season party thrown by Ferrari in Sao Paulo, Rubens Barrichello reportedly took to the mic and started singing “Schumacher is a homo!”
Rubens - clearly under the influence of a few complimentary cold beverages - then tried to get Felipe Massa and his wife, who had arrived late to the party, to join in with the song. The couple apparently looked embarrassed but made an effort to look like they were getting into Rubens’ witty “Schumi is a homo” vibe.
