October 2, 2009
F1- Lewis Hamilton Takes the Singapore Grand Prix
By Stephen Lars
With the end of the season in sight and a lackluster record this year, Lewis Hamilton took his second triumph of the season at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Hamilton kept his focus on the competition, leaving behind his rather forgettable results this season. He was able to make his presence felt on the track with extremely precise driving, keeping the lead during much of the route. The only driver who - briefly - overcame Hamilton was Fernando Alonso, who led the competition for four laps.
In the previous weekend, Hamilton made sure to seize the pole position during pretesting classification, where he demonstrated his incredible skills and gave a preview of the main event.
Hamilton, the first driver of the McLaren-Mercedes team, accelerated deeply from the first, putting a considerable distance between himself and the other drivers. With a start from the pole, the British drivers made clear his desire to take the win; nor was he going to let any other driver get in his way.
The winner of second place, however, was the result of a much-disputed contest between Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, and Mark Webber. Rosberg moved into second after the first lap but lost his place after he was penalized for rolling over the white line during a pit stop.
The road was then wide open for Vettel, who managed to situate himself in second place after an multi-vehicle accident led to a restart.
Vettel proved dangerous behind Hamilton, struggling to get closer to the leading driver, but Hamilton was able to prevent the German from passing him. Meanwhile, the Brawn GP drivers began signaling their willingness to fight after their first pit stop; the team began climbing several positions. The Ferrari team, by contrast, began to lose it shine, falling back several places.
As the race progressed, Vettel seemed liable to overtake Hamilton, but then the German was penalized as he exited the pits, and Hamilton’s lead was again secure. The penalty not only lost Vettel his placement but also dashed the hopes of his team, Red Bull; shortly after the penalty, the other driver, Webber, was forced to abandon the race due to a problem with his car’s brakes.
With Vettel out of the race, Toyota driver Timo Glock took the opportunity to place himself in second, while Fernando Alonso of Renault rapidly moved up to capture third.
After Webber’s withdrawal, Hamilton took a chance, entering the pits. It was a moment Alonso took advantage of; the driver maintained the lead, however, for only four laps. Hamilton was able to overtake him. By the end of the race, Hamilton cruised at first ahead of the fierce competition, comfortably showing off his talent.
Timo Glock arrived in second, gaining his second podium of the season. A short distance behind him came the Spaniard Alonso, who took third place on the podium where he was crowned winner last year. Vettel, for whose errors Glock and Alonso should be grateful, came in fourth.
Jenson Button arrived at the finish line in fifth place, but still managed to preserve his leading position in the overall drivers’ standings with 84 points. He is followed by his teammate Rubens Barrichello with 69.
With only four competitions left, Button, the chief pilot of GP Brawn, seems likely to capture the championship. His success, however, will depend on whether he can continue his usually strong performances.
About the Author
Stephen Lars has been a prominent writer on Formula One races, sports news and the sports betting industry for many exceptional sports web sites. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.