This is that time of the year when the Football Season is over, everything is done and dusted, the European league teams are busy regrouping, restrenghtening their squads. The Transfer season is in full swing as Players leave clubs for others to get more lucrative deals.

This season though all this will take a backstage, albeit for a period. Club Rivalries will be put aside, football lovers will unite as one force to support their national team!

The Euro is the here & this time its Poland & Ukraine who host it!

The Contenders to the crown are :

Group A

Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic

Group B

Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal

Group C

Spain, Italy, Republic Of Ireland, Croatia

Group D

Ukraine, Sweden, France, England

Teams that should make it to the Knock - out Stages :

Group A features the 2004 Champions Greece. Greece was definitely a surprise winner in 2004. Russia & Czech Republic have world class players. Poland unfortunately doesn't offer much to challenge the other three in the group. This Group is not an easy one even though it doesn't feature the more glamourous teams. Russia & Czech Republic should advance from this group.

Group B - THE GROUP OF DEATH!! We definitely have 3 top contenders for the crown in one group!! Netherlands are known for their strength in depth & their fascinating style of football. However they haven't had enough silverware to show for all their efforts. Germany showed fantastic form in the World Cup and also in the Qualifiers. Portugal have a star - studded lineup & they would definitely want to reward their fans with the cup. Cristiano Ronaldo will be looked upon as the one who can lead them to the Cup single-handedly! However their biggest weakness is team - spirit. Denmark aren't pushovers either & are known to produce upsets. The Experience of playing in the top leagues of Europe would definitely help the Danes. It's a very tough call - Germany & Netherlands should advance.

Group C features the 2008 Champions Spain. Spain is my favourite. They have literally trampled the opposition in the qualifiers. The 2010 World Cup Winners have also silenced critics by showing they are not chokers when it comes to the big stage. Italy, 2006 World Cup Winenrs have had a very torrid road to the Euros. Mercurial Perfomances, an Ageing Team, Match - Fixing Scandals in Serie A have definitely disturbed their focus leading upto the Tournament. The Azzuris though have the knack to defend exceptionally if they get the lead. Republic of Ireland have some top players in their ranks. The experience of Captain Robbie Keane will definitely help them on the field. Croatia became famous when they knocked out England in the Euro 2008 Qualifiers. The Players playing in the Premier League didn't get the best welcome. Croatia is definitely the Dark Horse in this group. This might be a bold prediction but Spain & Croatia would advance, although it would be better for Italy to advance rather than Croatia from a neutral's point of view.

Group D - Teams that have a lot to prove. France have been on the decline since their 2006 World Cup Final Defeat. Their lack of performance inspite of having some of the best talent in Europe baffles me. Their Road to Qualification wasn't an easy one either. Their failure to advance would definitely shock football lovers. England have been the lion that needs to wake up from its slumber. Fantastic talent has come & gone & yet the team has underperformed, be it the World Cup or the Euros. The saclking of Fabio Capello was a big mistake. Roy Hodgson has definitely shocked supporters by listing a team that has snubbed some quality players. The Inclusions of some has amused experts too. Only time will tell whether the decision was right or wrong. Ukraine seems to be in the same state as their co-host. They might only be also - rans. Sweden have been a close - knit team. They have been known to play around their more talented players. This Euro shouldn't be any different. England should top this group, France should clinch the other spot. Sweden is good but not good enough.

Spain, England, Germany, Netherlands should be the Semi - finalists. Spain vs England would be a dream final.

MY WINNER FOR EURO 2012 - SPAIN !!!

The Football season has ended. This year though has given way to a new level of rivalry. The Title Race in England has always been between Manchester and London. Chelsea, Arsenal have won the title for London but Manchester has always had one representative - MANCHESTER UNITED.

Manchester United became the most successful club in England when it surpassed Liverpool's 18 Titles last year; a number that everyone thought would be diffcult to reach considering the level of competition in the League.

As United finally enjoyed victory over Liverpool, a club in the same city was building a team to match or at least Challenge United's supremacy both in Manchester & England.

They have always played second fiddle and after seeing United be so successful over the years it was high time that City do something about the League.

United have been heavy spenders in the past with SIR ALEX FERGUSON not holding back funds to bring in reinforcements to wrestle back the title to United.

BUT THIS WAS DIFFERENT....

As I said in one of my earliest posts this season was a very close one and predicting a winner would be very tough.

CIty went in overdrive after getting a cash-laden owner. He channelised his assets and signed some of the best players on the planet. Some were paid higher salaries and other players who were overvalued and overrated made it to the club thanks to fat salaries that came from the owner's pocket... All this to try to silence the Red Army of Manchester.

The Entire season both clubs were dead-locked in battle while the rest had to contend with a fight for the third place. City humiliated United at Old Trafford 6-1, United got a revenge of sorts by knocking City out of the FA Cup at the Etihad Stadium.

City were 8 points clear at the top and then it all went bad for them. The cluttering of too many stars in a dressing room can be dangerous. The Clash of egos even spilled out onto the pitch.

United had a merry time and went about their usual job of winning fixtures. United were 8 points clear and at the business end of the League, the Reds were famous for finishing competition.

However, the league would experience another twist.. United performed poorly at relegation - threatened Wigan and lost. The gap down to 5. They maintained their lead with a win over Aston Villa but then came the match when they lost the initiative.

Everton played United at Old Trafford and United relinquised a comfortable 2 goal lead in the dying minutes of the game to draw. The scoreline a staggering 4-4. The Lead was down to 3 points and Clearly the game between United and City a week later would be the title decider.

City had been prolific in their scoring and had a better Goal Difference. United fielded a squad with the clear intentions of playing for a draw. The Plan worked perfect until the 45th minute when City Captain Kompany scored from a corner.

United lost the game and with two games to go the title charge was practically over. City struggled to win but eeked out a result at Newcastle. United overcame Swansea comfortably.

Final week & arguably the most tense ending ever to a league season. United went to Sunderland and hung onto win 1-0. The result clearly meant that City needed to lose or draw for United to hold on and win their 20th league title. City playing at same time seemed to be winning 1-0 until a defensive lapse helped QPR score. Joey Barton's moment of madness reduced QPR to 10 men but they rallied around to take the lead. Into Stoppage time ( 5 mins ) and City equalised in the 92nd. The Death Blow came in the 94th....

I was distraught.

Kun Aguero had broken the hearts of Millions of United supporters across the world!! The Etihad erupted in triumph. City Supporters simply couldn't believe that they were champions! The fans invaded the pitch & mingled with the players as they shed tears of joy! City were finally champions!!

As for United, the Community Shield was the only Silverware they could achieve this season.

The Curtains now close and a new chapter will begin come August. Till then Congratulations City for being deserved winners!!

We Wait for the opportune time..... GGMU!!

 

2005 & 2006 were fantastic years for this team. Fernando Alonso won two consecutive Formula 1 Drivers' Championship for them.

2007 - 2009 were Rebuilding years & 2010 - 2011 brought a major revamp at the top changing the team's identity altogether! The years brought a lot of turmoil and the only victory to their credit in the Inaugural Singapore GP in 2008 was marred by the Crash-Gate Scandal.

Anways Renault and Now LOTUS F1 have now moved on and roped in the former GP2 Champion and earlier their 3rd driver Romain Grosjean but the big news over the summer was the arrival of my favourite KIMI RAIKKONEN!!

Lotus F1 seemed strong but some unlucky incidents have robbed them of better results in the first 3 races.

The Bahrain Grand Prix Qualifying seemed to suggest the same as Kimi Raikkonen failed to qualify for Q3 and Romain Grosjean only managed 7th.

The Grand Prix itself was in severe trouble as citizens of Bahrain protested against the Government and the Government sponsored Formula 1 Grand Prix. The Sunday Race happened under a severe lock-down around the circuit. 

Sebastien Vettel surprised everyone by clinching pole on Saturday.

The Race began with everyone expecting a Podium Duel between the Red Bulls and McLaren Mercedes who blocked out the two front rows. However many had forgotten the strategy that Kimi Raikkonen had played by holding onto an extra set of soft tyres.

As the Race Progressed Kimi and Romain made up places. Lewis had a nightmarish pitstop as the left rear wheelnut simply refused to come off. Both the McLarens were going backwards while the Lotus made light of all cars that had started before them

Finally Kimi made a move on Romain to go P2 and this was a clear shoot-out between the Red Bull of Sebastien Vettel & the Lotus Renault F1 of Kimi Raikkonen. The Renaults were dominating this race!!  

The Moment came on Lap 36. Kimi was reeling in Sebastien and finally closed in on the Start - Finish Straight. Both were nearing the first turn and Kimi opted for the inside line ( a mistake he rued later ) only for Sebastien to move slightly across to deny him the space.

This was the only chance that Kimi would get. The gap then Steadied at 3.5 seconds.

Sebastien Vettel crossed the Finish Line to take a well deserved victory. Kimi Raikkonen & Romain Grosjean completed the podium. It was almost the perfect weekend for Lotus F1 Team, well almost.

Kimi was clearly disappointed as he knew he could have won the race but it must be said that its a Very Convincing Return to F1 for the Iceman.

Romain called the Podium Finish a Career High.

It is a Great Result for the Enstone team though. Lotus with the budget they had have humbled the bigger spenders of Formula 1.

They now need to ensure that perfect weekend to see their boys occupy the top step of the podium because they clearly deserve to be there.

Sebastien Vettel will treasure this win after struggling in the first 3 rounds of hte championship.

His last win was in October during the inaugural Indian Grand Prix

Some Photos from the Bahrain GP.

Looking Forward to Catalunya :

Formula 1 returns to Europe & Barcelona is the First Stop.

Catalunya is known for being a highly technical circuit and is definitely a challenge for all teams. No team can afford to run a compromised setup here.

The Mugello Tests seem to have been productive for most teams. Ferrari had the most upgrades. They most definitely are the team to watch!

McLaren would hope to put the Bahrain disappointment behind them.

Red Bull, McLaren Mercedes, Mercedes GP AMG, Lotus F1, Ferrari all seem to be in contention for the podium. Lets not forget that Sauber Ferrari have the potential to spring surprises too.

Just Pray to see KIMI RAIKKONEN on the Top Step of the Podium in Catalunya!!

GO KIMI!

Tag Heuer, the Swiss Masters at Watch - Making had entered the Indian Market 10 years ago. One of the earliest boutiques was in Crossroads, Mumbai. The Presence of the Boutiques dwindled and only one existed at the Grand Hyatt.

But come 2012 and TAG HEUER has gone into overdrive to create the brand awareness they have always enjoyed!! & what better a way to Open their Signature Store just a fortnight before the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix!!

After opening Boutiques in Bangalore & Chennai it was Mumbai's turn! Situated in a Mall featuring Signature Boutiques from top brands Palladium in South Mumbai was the perfect home for Tag Heuer.

Celebrities Shahrukh Khan & Karun Chandok were invited to grace the occasion, the former needing no introduction! Karun Chandok was a Formula 1 driver with Caterham Racing last year ( The 2nd Indian to reach the pinnacle of Motorsport ) and will feature in the Le Mans Endurance race this year!

Some of the Watches on Display!

People had crowded the Mall to catch a Glimpse of their Stars!

The GM of Tag Heuer explaining about the History of Tag Heuer in India

The CEO Familiarizing People with the Brand, talking of Expansions and the Indian Celebrities that the Brand is associated with.

Karun Chandok making the Grand Entry

Finally the moment the Crowds were Waiting for, The King of the Indian Film Industry, King Khan, SHAHRUKH KHAN!!

Both Celebrities busy answering Questions

Shahrukh and Karun Going head to head on the Formula 1 Race Simulator!

 

Showcasing their Tag Heuers!! - Shahrukh loves his Tag Heuer Monaco V4

Finally the Star of the Day!! - TAG HEUER CARRERA MONACO GP LIMITED EDITION!

A Small Gift from Tag Heuer

Tag Heuer is famous for Limited Edition Watches and the Carrera Monaco GP is the newest addition. It is good to see India featuring as one of the important markets for Signature Brands.

Tag Heuer's long standing association with motorsports is clearly visible across their product range!

The Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, the most glamourous race on the F1 Calender is only a couple of weeks away and I am sure many would be making a beeline to have one of these Precious Limited Edition Timepieces!

As for me, I would still prefer a Grand Carrera Calibre 36 RS Caliper Automatic Chronogrpah! ( Leather Strap looks great on it )

Photo Credits : SANTOSH VERMA PHOTOGRAPHY www.aneyeforindia.com

Many of us own cars and love them ( Sometimes more than our girlfriends ).

A Feature Laden Car at the right price is what everyone searches for and one feature that has become standard is the STEERING MOUNTED Control.

Some of us still take a good time to get comfortable with such wheels. How would it feel to have about 30 different controls to tinker with on the Steering wheel while your busy driving??

This is what I am talking about :

 

This was the Steering on the F2011 Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 Car driven by Fernando Alonso & Felipe Massa!

The sheer complexity of such a wheel is amazing! Being a Formula 1 Driver is no easy task! All that a Formula 1 Driver does in a race is right there on the wheel.

24 drivers have to go through the grind of trying to get the right balance and setting for a race weekend!

The Buttons List is simply Mind-boggling : ( Starting from top left, counterclockwise )

1) REV : Engine Limiter ( First Knob, Top Left )

2) N : Neutral Request

3) DIFF IN : Differential Tuning in corner entry

4) RADIO : Radio PPT

5) MIX : Engine Mixture

6) DRINK : Driver Drink

7) PUMP : Oil Pump

8) RF : DRS Activation

9) MF : Strategy Multifunction ( Big Centre Knob, Hear about this on Pit Radio )

10) 11) 12) : START, BURN, WET : Strategy Selection Switches ( Bottom 3 Toggle Switches )

13)  GRP : Clutch Tuning

14) OK : Radio Confirmation

15) 1/- : Recovery Selection

16) 10/- : Recovery Selection

17 ) TRQ : Engine Torque Map ( Knob to the Right of Central Knob )

18 ) OV : Over Revs

19 ) CHRG : KERS Recharge Level

20) P : Pit Limiter Activation

21) BOOST : KERS Power Release

On the Back, The UPSHIFT, DOWNSHIFT, Clutch.

The Materials Used make the wheel very light and the presence of Carbon Fibre takes the build quality to a different level!

 

Some more Photos of this handcrafted complex masterpiece :

 

Photo Credits : SANTOSH VERMA PHOTOGRAPHY www.aneyeforindia.com

The Title would confuse many of us! It confused me too when I visited the website of the company offering the "Giallo Midas".

So what is the Giallo Midas?

Its a car which has a cylinder capacity of 5.0 l, houses a V10 Engine, power of 520 HP at 8000 RPM. It does 0-100 km/hr in only 4.3 sec and has a top speed of 315 km/hr !!!

It is the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder!!

Driving the Lamborghini through the streets of Singapore for an hour was surely an awe-inspiring experience!

We all dream of driving a supercar ( at least boys do ). The adrenaline rush, the engine note is simply enthralling, not to mention the heads that turn to see the owner zoom past in his supercar.

Well "Ultimate Drive" is one company that gives you the opportunity to fulfill your childhood dream.

The cars on offer : Ferrari F430 F1 Spider & the more powerful Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder.

You can choose to drive or be driven ( the former is more appealing for obvious reasons ) by a professional who knows when to push as Singapore is laden with speed cameras. The tour duration varies from a short 15 min drive to the Ultimate Tour which is an hour long!

The requirements to get behind the wheels of one are your original driving licenece and an age of 21 years.

Both cars are beasts and quite easy to drive. The Lamborghini though is more powerful and truly a Raging Bull.

I had booked a drive for the Ferrari ( Called the Rosso Corsa ) . Unfortunately a technical issue prior to my drive compelled me to shift to the Lamborghini.

The sole reason of choosing a Ferrari was because of its long standing association with Formula 1 ( Lamborghini did a stint in F1 too ). Prior to the drive I was told that the Gallardo was a 4 wheel drive and a V10 as against a 2 wheel drive and V8 of the F430. So it was going to be a challenge to hold the reins of this bull.

Minutes into the drive and I realised what my Instructor Daniel meant.. The Upshift into higher gears simply catapulted me forward in the seat. The car though has fantastic grip and loves to be pushed around corners. It had rained throughout the day but the 4 wheel drive and Traction Control ensured that the car stayed planted always.

Singapore isn't as bad as Mumbai when it comes to traffic. However a Marathon was organised near the Marina Bay and I missed the opportunity of driving on a major part of the Formula1 Circuit.

I got a lot of attention too. Heads Turned, Photos were clicked and I had the privilege of waving to the onlookers like a celebrity!

This is the last year for the Singapore Grand Prix as the Marina Bay and so I plan to be at the Grand Prix. Its going to be a busy weekend for Ultimate Drive but I plan to do both cars!!

There are plans of adding another to the existing lineup!!

I simply can't for September to arrive! The experience of putting the PRANCING HORSE & the RAGING BULL through the paces is too good an offer to resist.

For those who would want to know more about the experience, www.ultimatedrive.com is the Website to visit. Keep up the good work guys!

Some other photos :

My Instructor Daniel, Had a very healthy conversation about Supercars, Formula 1. A Very Pleasant Drive!

The Certificate that makes me a Supercar Driver!

 

Photo Credit : SANTOSH VERMA PHOTOGRAPHY : www.aneyeforindia.com

Something to Remember!! - A Tshirt!!

Photo Credit : SANTOSH VERMA PHOTOGRAPHY : www.aneyeforindia.com

 

 

Truly the ULTIMATE DRIVE!!!

The Malaysian Grand Prix was a fantastic experience for me! I had hoped to meet and greet my favourite driver Kimi Raikkonen during the Driver Autograph Session.

Unfortunately the dream remained a dream but I did manage to get some photos of other drivers.

Thank you TOURISM MALAYSIA for the experience. I shall cherish this always

Malaysia has been so good to me and I have no words to express how thankful I am to TOURISM MALAYSIA for the 2 day race tickets. I never thought I would bump into so many accomplished people on this short trip.

It was only a 3 day trip but I will cherish every minute of it!

Day 1 : 24th March 2012

I reached my Hotel Mandarin Oriental around 9 in the morning and was simply awed by the location. Right next to the Petronas Towers and the Designer Laden Suria KLCC, I knew I had booked the Right place!

I entered the Lobby and couldn't believe what I saw! This hotel was packed with Formula 1 teams, FIA Members and even Footballers!

I first met the Legendary Sir Jackie Stewart!! The Triple World Champion also called the Flying Scotsman was very kind and I had the privilege of getting a photograph with him!

My Wait to be checked into my room turned out to be a Blessing in Disguise!

Michel Salgado was the next Celebrity I met! The Ex-Real Madrid and Spanish Defender had recently visited India for a Blackburn Rovers event ( His current club ) and we had a healty conversation.

I then met a Fellow Manchester United Supporters Mr. & Mrs. Wong  and we couldn't stop talking about the club we loved! We shared experiences and opinions about the club and more importantly talked about Formula 1.  

The Hotel Room was lavish! Mandarin Oriental is the best Hotel there. My room overlooked the Petronas Towers and the KLCC Mall which has Solar Energy for majority of its Energy needs.

I spent the rest of the day at Sepang watching the Saturday Practice and the Qualifying. I did a quick tour of the KLCC Mall when I returned and Met Fabio Cannavaro!!

This was followed by a sumptuous dinner at Lai Po Heen, the Award winning Chinese Restaurant of Mandarin Oriental. I ended the day with a recce of the rest of the hotel and more importantly.. its Cake Shop!

 

Day 2 : 25th March 2012 - RACEDAY :

Post Breakfast I made my way to the lobby and many celebrities were waiting for their rides to the circuit. Fernando Morientes was the next to oblige me with a Photo! I wished the Spaniard the best and my jaw dropped when I reached the Hotel Driveway.

Ferraris, Maserati, Porsches dominated the driveway. I couldn't stop gazing at them!

After Attending a Fantastic Grand Prix I Spent my evening at Mosaic the Coffee Shop of Mandarin Oriental and got a picture with Johnny Herbert ( Ex F1 Driver, Sky - Sports Co-presenter, Herbie Blash - FIA Deputy Race Director Charlie Whiting - FIA  Race Director!!

Day 3: 26th March 2012 :

I spent the morning exploring the Mall and had High Tea at the Lounge on the Park ( Courtesy AMEX Platinum Services ) before checking out of the Hotel.

It was a great trip. Never Expected to meet so many celebrities as Formula 1 teams prefer staying near the circuit and this hotel was an hour's drive away.

I must say Mandarin Oriental is the Best Property in Kuala Lumpur!  

A Big Thank you to TOURISM MALAYSIA for giving me the opportunity to enjoy the Malaysian Grand Prix.

MALAYSIA, TRULY ASIA !! 

March had been full of Surprises for me & the Tickets for Malaysian GP was the biggest surprise!!

I had never dreamt of attending the Malaysian GP this year and TOURISM MALAYSIA Surprised me with a fantastic gift - a 2 day Grandstand Ticket!! A big thank you to them because this GP had it all and I had the Privilege to see it all !!

Saturday was a hot and humid day. Hamilton and Jenson Button locked the front row for Mclaren and Schumacher qualifying third ensured that the Mercedes Engines were in for a strong race. Kimi qualified 5th but a gear-box change demoted him to 10th.

Sunday showed similar weather conditons one hour prior to the race. However 15 minutes to the race and the sky had become overcast. A Straightforward dry race was definitely in jeopardy. HRTs were the exceptions as they opted for the Blue Banded wet tyres while the others considered Intermediates as the wiser option. The Five lights went out and what followed was one of the most amazing races I had ever seen!!

Grosjean starting from 7th, made a good start and was third into turn 1. Schumacher and Grosjean made contact at turn 4 and both spun, losing several postions in the process and Grosjean eventaully retired on lap 4 after spinning into a gravel trap. On the first lap, turn 9 to 11 was almost completely dry but the rest of the track was very wet. Perez stopped after the first lap to change to full wets in a move that would elevate him to an eventual podium scoring position. All drivers had pitted onto full wets by laps 5 as the pitwall radar showed "the intensity will increase to 4 from time to time" meaning heavy rain was still to come.

The race restarted under the safety car. 4 laps behind the safety car & majority of the drivers once again pitted to change to intermediate tyres. Vettel lost radio contact with the pits. On lap 15, Jenson Button clumsily locked up the rear wheels and made contact with Karthikeyan, forcing him to pit again to change the front wing, ending his podium chances. Subsequently he made up a few places but was unable to finish in the top 10.

Alonso emerged from this as the new leader when he overtook Sergio Perez on lap 16, a lead he only briefly relinquished with a lap 40 pit stop. Rosberg was in fourth on lap 23 but slowly slipped backwards when his tyres overheated and he consequently pitted early for more intermediates. As the track slowy dried further, the top five all had comfortable gaps between them.

The Heavier rain that was forecasted never came ( Lap 31 ). After being 8 seconds behind Alonso in 2nd, Perez begun to set consecutive fastest laps and was closing the gap to the leader. The rain forecast prevented most cars from changing to slicks when the track was dry.

Daniel Ricciardo was the first to take the gamble and change to dry tyres on lap 37. He set the fastest lap by some three seconds on Perez and that initiated the change from wet to dry tyres for everyone else.

Perez on the prime tyre consistently cut down on Alonso's (medium tyre) lead to within half a second. However Perez was told on the radio "Sergio, we need this position, I Repeat we need this position." referring to the 18 points on offer for 2nd place. On the same lap Perez took too much curb on turn 14 and ran wide! This cost him at least five seconds and ensured that Alonso retained his lead.

Commentators questioned whether Sauber - whose engine is supplied by Ferrari - gave a coded message to Perez asking him to allow the engine supplier to take victory. Sauber denied this emphatically after the race. Could the Factory Ferrari instruct the Customer Ferrari to back off and let the former win? Well the Speculation will go on...

Late in the race, Vettel received a puncture against the front wing of Narain Karthikeyan, and he pitted from 4th place, finishing 11th; Karthikeyan was given a 20 second post-race penalty for his part in the collision. Pastor Maldonado, who was running 10th, was forced to retire on the penultimate lap when his engine gave way, allowing Michael Schumacher his first points of the season.

The Hero of the Day though was clearly Fernando Alonso.The Ferraris were struggling and didn't seem to have any chance of winning. However the rain always brings surprises and Alonso deserved the Victory. Sergio Perez left everyone astonished with his performace and the Sauber Ferrari will not be a pushover this season. They have plenty in reserve! Hamilton salvaged some pride for McLaren in 3rd but Button's incident with Karthikeyan simply spoilt the Brit's race.

 

Webber finished a strong 4th and it seems his consistency is finally rewarding him. Kimi had quite an entertaining race as he wrestled up the order to finish a commendable 5th. Bruno Senna, Paul Di Resta, Jean Eric Vergne impressed everyone with their drives finishing 6th, 7th & 8th respectively. They are definite champions in the making! Hulkenburg and Schumacher completed the Top Ten, a good day for Force India with both drivers finishing in point scoring positions.

Vettel seems to be under pressure. The German's incident with Karthikeyan demoted him from 4th to 11th. His post-race outburst using Derogatory terms at the HRT driver didn't go down well. Vettel is not getting a walkover this time! Massa put in a very disappointing shift again and it seems that Ferrari will be searching the market for a better teammate for Alonso. Maldanonado suffered heartbreak as his engine gave up the ghost, the Venezuelan failing to finish again...

China is the next stop for Formula 1 and is yet another Herman Tilke designed track. This season is going to be a close contested one and Red Bull has work to do to dominate again.

I hope Kimi does well in China...

2009 was the year Kimi Raikkonen left Formula 1. Ferrari in its enthusiasm to bring in Fernando Alonso didn't let the Finn complete his contract which would have ended in 2010. Kimi who would have stayed in Formula 1 had to leave the sport and start Rallying which wasn't as rewarding.

Many Fans had given up but the rumours of his return in 2011 encouraged us to hope and pray.

End of 2011 and Kimi was seen at the Williams' Factory during the Singapore GP Weekend. 

Then Came the news!! Kimi Returns to F1 with Lotus F1 with a 2 year deal!! He had got his rightful place and I hoped that I would meet him one day... & I almost did.

TOURISM MALAYSIA had been very kind to offer me a 2 day Grandstand ticket to watch the action at Sepang.

Come Saturday and I went Searching through the F1 Village to find something that would show my support to Kimi. Alas there wasn't anything..

Sunday however would be an unforgettable day for me. I had seen many fans wearing a Lotus Tshirt with the words "Iceman Kimi is Back" on the back.

I met a Fan wearing the same on Sunday. He revealed that they were a part of a European group who had come down to show Kimi their support at the GP ! He was kind enough to introduce me to the group.

I showcased all the prints and the poem I made for Kimi. To my Surprise Daniel a fan took off his Tshirt and gifted it to me!! It was so overwhelming.

I had struck a bond with the group. We were one in our support and love for Kimi Raikkonen. It was an honour to meet them all ; an experience that I shall always cherish and treasure. 2 weeks have gone by and still their chants of " Kimi Raikkonen .. Kimi Raikkonen" ring in my ears!

I hope I meet them again and this post is a small tribute to fans of Kimi Raikkonen from the Finnish Homeland!

 

All Hail King Kimi! Make way for the Iceman Cometh!!