The unemployment rate is 27% in Spain. There is an entire generation there who will end up lost in this depression. As bad as things are here in the states, they are several standard deviations worse overseas. I mention this because, as diehard a Lotus Formula One fan as I am, I was cheered to see Fernando Alonso lay waste to the field in Barcelona yesterday. Those folks need all the good news they can get at the moment, and anyway, Kimi took points off the gap to Vettel (whom I hate worse than math homework).
I thought Kimi drove a good race, while never looking particularly racy, somehow ending up on the second step of the podium, and while he is taking a page out of the “win the title with a hunting lodge full of seconds and thirds like Bobby Rahal” book, he is only something like 4 points adrift. The lad from Espoo is pretty consistent too, so I hope he will be in the fight this autumn. I hope anyone besides Vettel and Red Bull win.
If you like Formula One, and you don’t have a soft spot for Ferrari, there is something wrong with you. Of course my mast flies British Racing Green and Yellow, but the sheer joy the Tifosi have at every single good thing that the Scudaria does for the, is completely charming. While I admit they were hard to watch while Spoon-face Schumacher was dominating at the expense of everything else, up to and including both his team mate and the integrity of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Fernando is a worthy leader. Firm, but fair, and driving at a level most of the rest of us could only imagine. I do wish, they would remainder his annoying sidekick Massa, but not at he expense of taking Kimi from us.
Even though there is only the thinnest tie between Lotus the F1 team, and Lotus the auto manufacturer, I like it. There are a lot of similarities to them as well. Both are underfunded. Both make cars that handle ( see Kimi’s three stop to the rest of the leaders four stop strategy), both are resilient, and both enjoy killing giants when they can.
At any rate, if it shapes up,that there is a fight between Lotus and Ferrari for the title, between two of the best drivers alive, that would be a good thing.
The Tifosi will still cheer Fernando when he ends up in second place.
Conversations with my Esprit 