Battle Between The Finns In Formula One Heats Up

As the posh boys from Formula 1 get ready to head across the Atlantic to Austin, Texas for the United States Grand Prix where it is all too likely Lewis Hamilton will wrap up a third world championship title the rumbling and grumbling over the Russian Grand Prix’s last lap with some only too happy to stoke a battle between the Finns in Formula One.

Valtteri vs Kimi

• Russia GP crash rumbles on
• Valtteri glad he wasn’t at fault
• Disappointed with Kimi’s move

The British tabloid press could sensationalize paint drying and, with a lack of morality that residents of Mordor would find shocking, have absolutely no qualms about doing or saying anything, be it illegal or false, to gain readers. This has become ever more desperate as the internet has modernized our lives. The hacking of a dead-girl’s phone might have grabbed the headlines, but beyond that the everyday dumbing-down of news that they have wrought has been truly appalling.

News from nothing is their specialty, if only because actually explaining real news to people is beyond the scope of their skills. The big, important stories from around the world which can’t be simplified into five word phrases are ignored, and instead they concentrate of informing people about the Kardashians, which soap opera star is sleeping with which footballer. It is lamentable they are still so popular, and even more lamentable they feel the need to portray a battle between the Finns in Formula One.

Those that like to bet on sports in Finland probably already have their favorite of the two, either supporting Valtteri Bottas at Williams or Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari when they put their money down at ComeOn! Sportsbook and the like, and indeed perhaps the most patriotic of Finnish F1 fans support both, and however much the tabloid press might leap upon the events in Russia to try and create a battle between the Finns in Formula One, there really isn’t one.

Valtteri’s Disappointment Is Overplayed

The situation isn’t helped by a fair degree of pouting from the drivers. Formula one drivers are famed for two things; a) making up excuses when they lose, and b) complaining bitterly when other people win. This is true of entire seasons, individual races and indeed some mere moments selected from any given race. From a technical failure they can’t begin to explain because it’s too complex, to the adverse behavior of other drivers, those in an F1 cockpit have a ready supply of reasons for failure or loss.

Those trying to create a battle between the Finns in Formula one, probably in an effort to make F1 racing in some way interesting, are easily assisted by the statements that have been made since the incident when Kimi Raikkonen, on the last lap, made a desperate attempt to pass Valtteri Bottas, misjudged it entirely and sent the Williams driver off the track and out of the race whilst Kimi himself just limped home into fifth place, revised down to 8th after a 30 second penalty was applied.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=yQDnxO4uDfw

“I don’t really get the point of doing moves like that one the last lap.” Said Valtteri as if other drivers daring to race him all the way to the finish was somehow unsporting. “It’s just disappointing.” No, no it’s not disappointing, Valtteri, it’s called racing and it’s your job, please put away your faux surprise, there’s no need to sound like Kimi came to your house, shot your dog, slept with your wife and then sold your children on Ebay, it was a racing incident and not one Kimi was gambling news coverage would center on forever afterward.

Battle Between The Finns In Formula One

Had it been a clean overtake at turn 4 this wouldn’t even be a conversation but the press have the whiff of a battle between the Finns in formula one and they’re unlikely to let it go, first Kimi retains his place at Ferrari denying Valtteri a shot at that drive, and then this happens. What Valtteri seems to have forgotten is that this sort of thing is supposed to happen in car racing. It isn’t meant to be a parade of cars in order of the budgets spent upon them, it’s supposed to be a race, and his comments are unhelpful.

His disappointment is understandable, his frustration equally human, but to still be complaining a couple of weeks later is just slightly irritating and not what the sport needs. F1 needs more incidents like this not fewer, more action not less, more driving and less computer programming. The battle between the Finns in formula one might be entirely contrived by bored motorsport reporters, but that it is of interest at all shows the depths to which F1 has sunk. That it needs this sensationalism says everything about the actual racing being quite dull.

If you take advantage of Finnish gambling laws to back either of the two drivers in the battle between the Finns in formula one heading for the grid in Austin this weekend just remember that however they might be portrayed in the aftermath of an unfortunate incident, they’re both professionals, and perhaps Valtteri can take heart from the fact he’s garnering odds of just 29.00 to win on Sunday whilst Kimi is a more distant 46.00, of course Hamilton is just 1.40, but then F1 has been a forgone conclusion like that all year.