Lewis Hamilton made the perfect start in Australia. (0552199)
THE Fantasy Formula One competition has had a record number of entries as the 2008 championship got under way with a Lewis Hamilton victory in Melbourne at the weekend.
A total of 349 teams were entered, raising an impressive £1,745 for the WRVS. ‘It’s an amazing response,’ said organiser Jamie Doggart.
‘I’m really, really pleased.’ The team at the top of the pile following the Australian Grand Prix season opener is Highway Racers. Vanessa Robert’s team has 64 points, one ahead of Steve Cocks’ Status Quo in second place.
Robert’s five-man side includes Hamilton, his McLaren teammate Nick Heidfeld and Williams’s Nico Rosberg, who came first, second and third respectively.
Her other two drivers are Kazuki Nakajima of Japan and Giancarlo Fisichella for the new Force India team.
Hamilton had dominated the weekend’s opener characterised by safety-car interventions following a series of dramatic incidents that all happened behind him and which resulted in only seven cars finishing the race.
The 23-year-old Briton would continuously build a lead only to lose it behind the safety car.
But he never lost his composure to take the lead of the world championship.
It could be the sign of things to come for Hamilton, who came second last year to narrowly miss out on the world title in his debut season.
He looks set to go one better this year but Doggart says there is a long way to go.
‘It’s early days yet,’ he said.
‘I’ve had a few people wanting to change their teams already but I don’t think you can read too much into one race. He’s looking confident but I don’t think it will pan out like that every weekend.’
Article posted on 19th March, 2008 - 2.29pm
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