"We're watching Ralf Schumacher... son, of course of double world champion Michael Schumacher..... er, the brother of Michael Schumacher.…." Murray Walker
The first flyaway stages of the 2008 season have come to a close with Bahrain, where Felipe Massa, Rubens Barrichello, Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella drove storming races to 1st, 11th, 6th and 12th respectively. Robert Kubica also looked impressive (especially during qualifying), and looks for BMW Sauber to be in championship contention. The unfortunate Lewis Hamilton finished in 13th, losing the championship lead to Kimi Räikkönen. Jenson Button (who retired) had a race to forget after a qualifying session to remember. Then most of the cars got updated and the teams tested their first 2009-spec cars in tests at the Circuit de Catalunya. In a probable look into the future of Formula One design, Renault used RBR's idea of a 'shark fin' on the airbox and the teams looking into the 2009 regulations, including the planned introduction of slick tyres. Honda tried a 'dumbo wing' on the car's nosecone and every other team tried to improve. Super Aguri lost their deal with the Magma Group after the planned buyout last month fell through, but did make it to the Spanish GP; SA's future is in the air again and still looking poor. The Spanish GP got underway with the hope that the adaptions will give new teams chances to win or get in the points. Fernando Alonso starred in qualifying by setting a provisional pole position time just before Kimi Räikkönen took it away by 0.091s.File:Jarno Trulli 2008 Spain.jpgToyota have made a jump from their slot at 11th-12th on the grid to clear points positions.McLaren didn't have a nice time with fifth and sixth places, in addition to David Coulthard who could only manage 17th after having a bad last lap. The Circuit de Catalunya saw Kimi Räikkönen take the glory with Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton finishing in second and third places respectively. Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella all drove one of their most best races, with Kazuki Nakajima also showing that he and WilliamsF1 are worth their stay in Formula One. Heikki Kovalainen had a nasty crash, causing a prolonged Safety Car period. He was rushed to hospital for checks; thankfully he was announced to have no serious injuries. Toro Rosso had a race to forget after both their cars were crashed out by other drivers. At the start of the season the FIA threatened the cancellation of the Spanish and European GPs if racism continued in Spain after after hearing of the racial abuse directed at McLaren's Lewis Hamilton while he was testing the MP4-23 at Barcelona during Winter testing. However, this was considered 'stupid' and has not happened due to the Spanish GP is completed and the European GP sold out.'Chubbennaitor, Sage J Callahan, Diniz(talk), Barkjon , Motofan
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Keep up some of the great facts in the "Did You Know" section of the Formula One portal! Remember, yours may be put in next Wednesday!
Ayrton Senna (da Silva) is most known for his push to win, much the same as Gilles Villeneuve. Senna is a three time Formula One Champion, winning in 1988, 1990, and 1991. Many people have compared Senna to Juan Manuel Fangio, who is known as "The Master" of Formula One. Senna is a Brazilian, and raced for Toleman, Lotus, McLaren, and Williams. Statistically, he is among the greatest ever, with 41 wins and 65 pole positions. His then-record of 65 pole positions was broken by Michael Schumacher in the 2006 San Marino Grand Prix. His rivalry with Alain Prost is among the most legendary in Formula One, going as far as Senna colliding with Prost in the first turn of Suzuka in 1990, giving Senna the title. Tragically, Senna died during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix when his Williams left the track at high speed, hitting the concrete retaining wall at around 135 mph. No driver since has been killed while driving a Formula One car. His skill in wet weather and bad conditions has made him stand out among other drivers. Where most people would choose to drive conservatively, to avoid causing a crash, Senna would still push his hardest. Following the death of Senna (and Roland Ratzenberger), many safety improvements have been made. What could possibly be better than his on-the-track skills was what he did off the track. His character and attitude has made him a legend among F1 fans.
Nominated by Sage Callahan
