Formula One: Japanese Grand Prix – 1 race, 24 different reactions! (Part 8)
Hispania – HRT
Sakon Yamamoto was extremely happy at the end of the race. Finishing 16
th was the best that he has managed during the course of the 2010 season. The home town driver wanted to reach out and specifically wanted to thank the Japanese crowd that was cheered him as if he were running for first place. Talking about the race, the HRT driver described it as a tough on track outing. He had some problems with the car’s fuel pressure as it dropped time and time again and made it extremely difficult to maintain the car during the course of the race.
Dispite all that though, the Japanese driver’s determination saw no boundaries as he was not only able to fight for positions and be a constant threat, he was also able to control one of their competitors during many laps. Sakon Yamamoto concluded that it was truly a special feeling to be able to race again on the track he loved most of all – Suzuka proved to be an outing that enabled him to contribute evenly to the team’s sixth double car finish this season. The youngster, though, touched by the reception he received at Suzuka, was level headed enough to realize that the most important part of the cycle was his team and was extremely grateful for all the hardwork they put in.
Bruno Senna, despite not of Japanese origin, was just as happy on the day as his team mate. He and his race engineer were incredibly happy with the result – Things went according to plan and the HRT was able to finish the race in one piece. This was Senna’s best result in a Grand Prix this season. What made the ending sweeter was the fact that both cars were able to finish the race and reflected the overall hard work put in by the Hispania camp – HRT has ‘finished six races with two cars since Bahrain’ were the young driver’s exact words.
The start of the race was rather exciting as it was filled with many incidents reflected the Brazilian. Therefore, it was a sensible decision from his race engineer to call him to the pits relatively early. On rejoining the track with a new set of Bridgestones, Senna was able push on a clear stretch of track when the rest of the field decided to make their respective pit stops. The young driver concluded on a rather emotional note as he said that he couldn’t ‘leave Japan without saying thank you to all the spectators’. Verily, the Japanese crowd showed little favouritism as they were just as receptive to Yamamoto’s team mate. Their support never wavered during the stretch of the weekend.
Word from the Hispania camp concludes our feature. The Japanese Grand Prix was an important event looking at the state of the championships. From a constructor’s point of view, Red Bull looked back to their usual self while McLaren looked a touch shaky. The race saw some people making a name for themselves, while others were left rueing a missed opportunity. The contrast in the end result gave birth to a number of subjective views as described over the course of the seven part series.
It is sometimes worth reminding ourselves, that while these drivers are often seen touching the masses with their remarkable control of a fast vehicle, they are, at the end of the day, human like the rest of us. Their views gave a window into their respective personalities. Some were able to exhibit uncommon patience at the face of disappointment while others saw it best to vent out. Either way, each and everyone of these drivers had one thing in common; irrespective of the result, they all looked to head out there and give their hundred percent, no matter what. It was after all, their common passion for the great sport.
