After watching the 2008 Formula 1 race in Belgum, I have never been more upset with the Finn, Kimi Raikkonen.  However, I can’t say that I blame him for spinning out and crashing into the wall… we was trying to get his lead back.  I know that he was in a “win it or crash trying” but it almost seem like reverting back to what a rookie would do.  It just didn’t seem like Kimi was driving the car in the closing laps of the race.

As for Louis Hamilton, I’m not sure how to feel about the pass.  It was clear that he shorted the chicane and that he slowed down to let Kimi by.  It was also clear that he didn’t immediately give up the position, even though it was before the next corner.  He did slow down just barley enough to take the slipstream of Kimi’s car.  If it wasn’t for that move in itself, I believe that Kimi would have gone on to win the race.

That being said, I do think that there is a solution to this.  We’ve seen this in Grand Turismo 4 and Grand Turismo 5 Prologue.  The five-second penalty.  When a shortcut has occurred I believe that there should be a button installed that would allow for a five-second slowdown.  This means that the driver must hit the button, which will immediately prevent the revs from going over a specified RPM for five seconds.  The driver would be allowed to remain on the driving line though and a blue cluster of LEDs would be on the back of the car to inform other drivers that the five-second penalty has been initiated for that car.  I feel if something like this would have been in place, then Hamilton would have not as much time and could have had a shot for the lead or worst be placed in second, rather than the third place the stewards had penalized him with.  I feel that the stewards were right in their decision.  A penalty should have been assessed.  I’m just not sure if it was the right penalty.  If anything one should be assessed for the next race (Monza) for this next week.

As things have played out though, I’m still a Kimi fan and always will be!  Go-Kimi-Go!