F1: Miracle on Singapore St

"I will need a miracle ... to be able to make progress on this street circuit where it looks difficult to overtake." - Fernando Alonso

The 2008 Singaporean F1 Grand Prix was the first in the F1 history to be staged at night. My wife and I, were given two tickets for the three-day event, but we decided to give them away to relatives who are more enthusiatic about the race. Held in September 08, the race was a new experience for every driver because it involved driving on a street circuit under powerful spotlights. The race also turned out to be one of the most exciting of the season.

..

Fernando Alonso, in his Renault, had set the fastest time in the practice runs. But the Spaniard's hopes of pole position were dashed... A car failure during the qualifying runs on Saturday left him a wretched 15th - a starting position no driver had ever won a Grand Prix from in the 799 world championship events leading up to this race. Struggling to conceal his frustration at, Alonso said he will need a miracle to claw his way into the points.

“Our weekend was going really well and we had big hopes for this evening… It’s a really big disappointment because we had a real chance to do something special today, perhaps not pole position but to at least qualify in the top four… I know that starting in the middle of the pack will make for a difficult race and … … I will need a miracle … to be able to make progress on this street circuit where it looks difficult to overtake."

The next day, Alonso, against all odds, won the incident-packed race. A commentator reported that it took a strategic gamble and a stroke of fortune to bring him into play on race day. After the race, Alonso reflecting on the win, said...

Alonso got the miracle he wanted!

.

.

.

.

.

"We were unlucky in qualifying and very lucky in the race. Obviously we started at the back … After qualifying our hopes were gone already (as we started 15 and 16). It was nearly over, but it shows that Formula One is unpredictable on Sunday... I need a couple of days to realize we won a race this year."

Whilst Alonso's win might have looked lucky, note that his good fortune in the race was at least partly caused by his misfortune during qualifying. One reported aptly wrote "Any winner after two hours of a bumpy, barrier-lined track in such heat must be a worthy one."

What is the moral of this story? One, never give up no matter how dissappointed or 'unfortunate' you feel. Two, the race ain't over till you've crossed the finishing line! Three, "luck is preparation meeting opportunity", i.e. we have to be prepared to take advantage of opportunities that come our way. Four, when hope is gone, start praying for a miracle?

.

postscript: Two weeks later, Alonso went on to win the next Grand Prix race in Tokyo, also coming from behind. So, who says, miracles can only happen once?