Button or Hamilton?

Am I the only one who feels sorry for Lewis Hamilton? After winning the Formula One Grand Prix Championship in Brazil in what I believe to be one of the finest moments of sporting history, Hamilton is now, to use a football term, lingering in mid table mediocrity. Having just smashed out of qualifying at Monaco, he then watches Jensen Button, his fellow Brit, go and land pole position. Not to mention the lying scandal and the ridiculously uncompetitive car.

I am by no means an expert when it comes to Formula One, but I loved watching it last year; the nerves, the anticipation, the fact that Hamilton was not everybody’s favourite driver. It was, in my view, just what the sport needed and it had my full attention. So the regulations were altered in an effort to make the sport more exciting (did anyone else watch the final race in Brazil?) and while McLaren and Ferrari vied for top spot in 2008 other teams justifiably turned their attention to 2009. Which has led to the current situation, where to borrow another phrase, this time from the MP expenses saga, the hierarchy of Formula One has been ‘flipped’. Instead of an exciting battle between Ferrari and McLaren, car manufacturers who have for so long pioneered the automotive industry, Brawn GP sponsored by Virgin and Red Bull, the well known sports drink are instead fighting for the most prestigious prize in the motor racing world.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Jensen Button, he deserves to be where he is and I am delighted his career has been re-invigorated in the way it has. I do get the sense, however, that somewhere along the way Formula One has lost something, and with the issue of funding for next year currently in debate, and the idea of Formula One losing Ferrari et al., the sport is in danger of losing its very essence.

As for Lewis, I hope McLaren can make sufficient ground on Brawn, Red Bull and indeed Ferrari to give Hamilton a car he can at least make an impression with at some stage this Championship.