AS Lewis Hamilton blew his chances of winning the Formula One world title on Sunday, John Torode thought his chances of winning the Guernsey Press Fantasy Formula One competition were gone as well. But it was not the case for the 59-year-old lorry driver as his 64 points from the weekend’s last race of the season, the Brazilian Grand Prix, was enough to see him home.
Torode’s effort also sees him win £100-worth of petrol courtesy of the Co-Op.
‘I’m surprised to have won after Hamilton being weighed down,’ said Torode.
‘It’s been good this year. It’s been one of the closest competitions now that [Michael] Schumacher has gone.’
After starting second on the grid, 22-year-old sensation Hamilton needed to finish at least fifth at the Interlagos circuit to take the world title in his debut season.
But an error by the British driver in the Senna esses on the first lap and then a mechanical problem saw him drop down to 18th place.
After working his way back up the field, he eventually crossed the line in seventh and agonisingly just short of the title.
But luckily for Torode, his other drivers - Kimi Raikkonen who took the race and the world title, Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg - supplied enough points to see him finish on 875 and top of 275 entrants.
He originally had Alexander Wurz before he swapped the Williams driver for Rosberg before the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring in July.
Runner-up Paula Teal believes that Torode’s shrewd substitution was the deciding factor in his victory.
The 39-year-old banker also got 64 points from the last race with her Team Tilly, but ended up six points behind Torode on 869.
Teal originally had Fernando Alonso, Hamilton, Heidfeld, Kubica and Trulli. Before the Chinese Grand Prix she got rid of Alonso for Raikkonen and Trulli for Rosberg.
Like Hamilton, Teal had been out in front but just could not do enough at the final hurdle. She has been teased for the comparison.
‘I was top most of the way through but the guy who won swapped one of his drivers and by the time I realised what he had done, it was too late,’ she said.
‘All the girls at work have been telling me that I’m like Lewis Hamilton. To say I came second out of 275 - I can’t be too gutted.’
All the proceeds from the competition went to the WRVS. A total of £2,800 was raised.
‘It was a great effort by John Torode and it was a great effort all round,’ said competition organiser Jamie Doggart.
‘I hope people have enjoyed it and I hope that we can do it again next year. There was a lot of controversy this season and it was a fairytale story for Lewis Hamilton any way.
‘Formula One went through a bit of the doldrums [during Ferrari’s domination]. Although Michael Schumacher was popular with people who liked him, he was very unpopular with people who didn’t like him.
‘The competition is a good whole year’s entertainment for a fiver. You can’t even get a couple of pints for that nowadays.’
Doggart would like to hear from any of this year’s entrants who have suggestions for the competition.
He can be contacted at doggarts@guernsey.net.
Article posted on 23rd October, 2007 - 12.00am
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