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 !!!

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!

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!!

 

 

The 2012 Formula 1 Season is just a few hours away, the opening round to be held in Albert Park, Melbourne Australia. So what better a time to preview what promises to be the most exciting season yet!!

LONGEST F1 SEASON :

20 Races spread over 5 Continents!  This year poses a mammoth challenge to all the teams across the grid. Reliability is going to be of utmost importance as teams battle it out for supremacy.

United States makes a return with a new track in Austin, Texas and Bahrain would feature once again after the Race was Cancelled due to political turmoil the previous year.

RULE CHANGES :

1) No Restriction on Tyre Usage. Teams would have the liberty to test Tyre compounds chosen by Pirelli for the weekend that would suit their car setups. This should definitely reduce the Lap Time Differences between teams.

2) Mid Season Testing returns this year and Mugello is the Track chosen for the same on May 1.

Everyone specially the newer teams would benefit from this. The teams will only be permitted to do fifteen days of testing over the course of the season, the pre-season winter testing schedule has been cut back to accommodate the Mugello test.

3) The banning of blown diffusers has meant all teams had to redevelop the exit of the exhaust.

4)  FIA banned the use of "reactive ride-height".The reduction in the height of the nose led to several teams using a "platypus" nose design. Some of the designs really look ugly. Mclaren & Marussia though have adopted a different design.

5) All cars had to pass their mandatory FIA crash tests before being allowed to take part in pre-season testing. Previously, passing the crash tests was only a requirement prior to the first race of the season. Crash tests for the 2012 season will also be more rigorous than in previous years.

THE CONTENDERS :

Red Bull Racing Renault ( AUT ) 

1. Sebastian Vettel
2. Mark Webber
Test Driver : Sebastien Buemi


VODAFONE MCLAREN MERCEDES (GBR)
McLaren Mercedes 

3. Jenson Button
4. Lewis Hamilton
Test Driver : Gary Paffett

SCUDERIA FERRARI (ITA)
Ferrari

5. Fernando Alonso
6. Felipe Massa
Test Driver : Jules Bianchi


MERCEDES GP PETRONAS F1 TEAM (DEU)
Mercedes

7. Michael Schumacher
8. Nico Rosberg


LOTUS F1 TEAM (GBR)
Lotus Renault

9. Kimi Raikkonen
10. Romain Grosjean


SAHARA FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM (IND)
Force India Mercedes

11. Paul Di Resta
12. Nico Hulkenberg


SAUBER F1 TEAM (CHE)
Sauber Ferrari

14. Kamui Kobayashi
15. Sergio Perez Mendoza
Test Driver : Esteban Gutierrez


SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO (ITA)
STR Ferrari
16. Daniel Ricciardo
17. Jean-Eric Vergne
Test Driver : Sebastien Buemi


AT&T WILLIAMS (GBR)
Williams Renault
18. Pastor Maldonado
19. Bruno Senna
Test Driver : Valtteri Bottas


TEAM CATERHAM (MAL)
Caterham Renault

20. Heikki Kovalainen
21. Jarno Trulli


HRT F1 TEAM (ESP)

22. Pedro de la Rosa
23. Narain Karthikeyan


MARUSSIA F1 TEAM (RUS)
Marussia Cosworth
24. Timo Glock
25. Charles Pic

 

SIX CHAMPIONS ON THE GRID :

A season featuring 6 World Champions brings in so much excitement. Vettel ( 2010, 2011 ), Button ( 2009 ), Hamilton ( 2008 ), Raikkonen ( 2007 ), Alonso ( 2005, 2006 ), Schumacher ( 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1995, 1994 ).

Vettel has been a confident driver for the last 2 seasons thanks to a very reliable and quick Red Bull. He certainly has no intent of stopping at 2 titles. He seems to be the man to win it again.

Button has been a consistent performer in the 2011 season and hasn't done much wrong in earlier seasons either. Mclaren are a great team to be in and I see him giving Vettel a run for his money.

Hamilton has been erratic and very rash in his driving techniques leading to many bust-ups with co-drivers on the paddock. He has the ability to accomplish what he did in 2008 and only time will tell how the Brit will perform this season. Button as a team-mate would not make things comfortable for him.

Raikkonen - The Iceman, The Flying Finn and My Personal Favourite has made a return to Formula 1 this season in a team that is in a rebuilding phase after the successful 2005-2006 seasons. They have had a strong pre-season but it would be an exaggeration to say he would be successful to the point of winning a title. As Keke Rosberg once said " If you want to win, Get a Finn! "

Alonso has lead the charge for Ferrari from 2010 after Raikkonen's exit in 2009. However Ferrari have failed to give him a car that would match the credentials of a Red Bull. The results from pre-season aren't encouraging either. The Maranello team has work to do.

Schumacher has been the most successful Formula 1 driver. Accolades and Records adorn a fantastic career. However his participation shouldn't rattle his compatriot VETTEL. He has achieved what he could in Formula 1. His participation however brings in millions of viewers from all parts of the world.

 

PERSONAL PREDICTIONS :

Pre - Season testing has clearly indicated that the RED BULL is the most consistent in performance over long periods. They haven't been the quickest, but the RB8 will be more than a match to the others. As Steve Slater reports " The only potential good news for their rivals is that after the Red Bull team unveiled an upgraded exhaust system and gearbox assembly to improve rear-end aerodynamic performance at the final test, they suffered gearbox problems."

Red Bull is going to still run the "B-spec" in Melbourne so reliability can be an issue. 

Mclaren, Lotus, Mercedes GP have been quick on individual days but Mclaren seem to be the only worthy contender. However Kimi Raikkonen in a LOTUS F1 car will be more than a handful for the rest.

FERRARI have a lot of work to do as the feedback by both Alonso & Massa clearly underline the shortcomings of this year's car. ALONSO is no pushover and he will leave no stone unturned to fight for the crown.

MERCEDES PETRONAS have two able contenders for the crown. NICO ROSBERG would want to prove his worth and MICHAEL SCHUMACHER as a team - mate will compel him to give his best.SCHUMACHER with his 7 Titles and more importantly Experience can never be written off.

MID - FIELD Battles are going to be enthralling too as cash - strapped Force India, Sauber, Williams would find it difficult to sustain progress. This will bring in Toro Rosso & Caterham closer to the trio. HRT failed the Crash tests and will enter the season almost untested. The same can be said for the newcomer Marussia, but Formula 1 is never short of surprises, 2009 season a clear testimony of this fact.

Well we aren't far from finding this out! So Bring it on!

FORMULA 1 is BACK!!