A lot of people out there may think Bernie is a bit of an eccentric old man. However he is passionate about F1 and has true vision. Many articles have commented on the change of the format for the F1 season 09 but none have closely commented on the mentality shift that is required from the drivers themselves.
Essentially they are going from being able to aim for a 4th or 5th finish in every race (low pressure) to needing to aim to win each race outright (high pressure) it is actually a fantastic masterstroke. It will bring the fire and desperation back into winning and F1. How will this affect the drivers mentally though? There are plenty of articles about the 'winning mentality' of Lewis Hamilton.
And it is true he did win the last season but does he have a winning mentality? Quite frankly under the new system the answer would be a resounding no! He would not have handled the pressure at all of the last few races of the season, specifically the last race when he let Vettel overtake him on the second last lap... is that a winning mentality? No it is a survival mentality. Would a survival mentality be enough to win the F1 championship next year if these new rules are brought in? No, he would need a genuine winning mentality. Personally I do not believe that he has a winning mentality, as under high-pressure situations he has not performed at his peak aka choked.
So this will be very interesting to see if this 'winning mentality' that so many (mainly British) writers are claiming Lewis has will transfer across to next season when a true winning mentality will actually be required! Maybe someone like Kimi will win again but more likely Massa - he will not feel this immense pressure that Lewis was under. Was it just down to inexperience or is it a more ingrained and therefore long term symptom? Next season we will well and truly find out. As these new rules filter down to the feeder classes new mind sets will be required to win races.
It is a fascinating time in F1 and whether you love or hate Mr Eccelstone he is definitely one of the most eccentric characters across all sports.
Keep Racing!
J Grant
http://www.F1DriversSecrets.com
Mind fitness strategies and techniques to get drivers to the next level in racing. Getting drivers to pole position every time!
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