Zoom Passing is a risk. Should they bother?

Type in the words 'Arnoux Villeneuve' into any well known video streaming service and you'll get to watch two drivers battling tooth and nail in a fight that was not for the race win, but the runner-up position.

The cars look dated now, but nearly three decades on the principal is still the same and that is to beat the other guy.

Forward-wind to this weekend and we have seen that trying to win, or indeed even make up ground, really may not be worth the bother after all.

In Valencia Formula One fans were treated to 90 minutes of high speed tedium and they didn’t like it. Lewis Hamilton trailed Felipe Massa to the chequered flag and made no attempt to make a pass for the lead.

With the points system the way it is, there really is little incentive for a driver to risk a great deal to move from second place on track to take the lead. Why risk an accident for two championship points?

This weekend at Spa Francorchamps, we saw some stunning racing both in Formula One and in the GP2 support series.

GP2 Championship leader Georgio Pantano found himself watching the action early on Sunday morning having been disqualified from the Saturday race and banned from taking part in the Sunday affair. His crime? He made a mistake under braking and took out a rival while trying to move through the field.

Sunday afternoon was not so different either. Lewis Hamilton had the chance to beat Kimi Raikkonen to the chequered flag and he took that decision. It proved a bad decision in hindsight as he found himself penalised by the Stewards and dropped six points as a consequence to championship rival Felipe Massa.

To put that into context, six points is the same for Hamilton as winning the next three Grand Prix on the trot ahead of Massa.

So the answer has to be, don't bother, don't try and make a pass as the chances are, you will lose out in the longer run.

One doubts Hamilton will take that view and it is certain that the legends that were Rene Arnoux and Gilles Villeneuve most certainly would not either. Some will however and as ever, the sport is all the poorer for it.

Is this what we want? Watch the clip, even if you have seen it many times before, and then decide.

Earl ALEXANDER
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