Lewis Hamilton Visits Aussie Burn Victims
Lewis Hamilton Visits Aussie Burn Victims
Formula One teams and drivers are arriving for the first Grand Prix of the season in Australia. For many, including myself, this is reason to celebrate. The thought of Peter Windsor working that grid while Lewis Hamilton prances around in his race suit is enough to make me smile. But I’ve got a bigger reason to smile-as do the burn victims of Victoria’s Black Saturday brushfires.
When McLaren Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton and teammate Heikki Kovalainen landed down under, their first pit stop was to the Alfred Hospitals burn unit. Sure, they could have gone to the zoo or played soccer, but they chose to make the rounds, visiting recovering burn victims, nurses, doctors and hospital staff.
Hamilton is so classy, that he brushed aside the media to speak to the patients. It wasn’t until after the visit that he briefly addressed the media. “We can’t imagine what they’ve gone through, but to see the smiles on their faces and how strong they are … it gives me inspiration.”
While Hamilton and Kovalainen opted to spread love, other drivers-not so much. Unless you call ‘spreading love’ a visit to the zoo or playing soccer? German Formula One drive Nick Heidfeld (above) and Adrain Sutil opted to meet four kangaroos at the Zoo in Melbourne instead of visiting burn victims…
…and Hamilton nemesis Spanish Formula One driver Fernando Alonso was busy being presented with a team shirt from the Melbourne Victory soccer team…I’m just saying…the fires, in which 210 people died, form an emotional backdrop to this year’s Australian Grand Prix-I would expect more drivers to pay homage to those who’ve suffered.
The Australian Grand Prix goes down on March 29, 2009.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Nadal Makes History With Win Over Roger Federer, Lewis Hamilton Places Third, Heikki Kovalainen Crashes.
NADAL: INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS
The Masters Series Monte Carlo…”I think I am more adapted to clay every match, no? I am feel I play more clay style every day, no?” Going for his 24th career title, our Spanish treat, Rafael Nadal, can’t make much cuter, no? Rafa worked the clay against Roger Federer and became the first player in Open Era history to capture the event four times in a row. The allegedly ‘neutral’ crowd was most def backing up the Swiss Mister. But Rafa’s supreme ball control-especially on clay- was too much for Federer-and in fabulous fashion, Rafa downed the worlds number one in straight sets and rolled around on that wonderful red-clay in celebration.
“I think I am playing well; I am doing good work,” purred Nadal, “I think I am more adapted to clay every match. I play more clay (court) style every day, having control of the point with the forehand.” Guess Federer needs to take a good, hard look at what he’s doing wrong…or simply stick to grass.
”I am the first fourth in a row? So, well, happy for that. That most important, happy for still playing good, no, for continuing playing good. Having last two Masters Series, two finals, the first semifinals, and the first Grand Slam semifinals, too. So I think is a very good start of the 2008 season. Just I have to continuing like this, no? I think I am playing well. I am doing good work. If I continue like this, I gonna have chances for being in the top positions another time, no?”
SPANISH F1
First place at the Spanish Grand Prix went to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, second place was taken by Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, and third place was claimed by Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes)…I can not, with a clear conscience, say that Raikkonen looks nearly as good as the other babes when he downs champagne, but props to him for the win…
Finnish McLaren-Mercedes Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen didn’t have a good day. After crashing during the event, he was taken to the hospital and is reportedly in good condition. “As far as we know he hasn’t broken anything. He’s a little concussed,” said McLaren boss Ron Dennis. “We think it was [caused by] a stone [getting caught] between the wheel rim and suspension. It shows a catastrophic air loss and we’ll know more when we get the bits back.” An on-board camera captured Kovalainen’s left-front tire suddenly deflate in the middle of the right-handed Campsa corner, one of F1’s most difficult. Initially there were serious concerns because the cockpit of the car was buried under a barrier and it took F1’s medical team 10 minutes to get him outta the wreckage.
Hamilton said he had been told during the race that his teammate was not badly injured. “It was a terrible day for Heikki, I am just so happy that he was not badly injured. I came past the corner and saw a red car in the wall, but did not know if it was a Ferrari or a McLaren. It reminded me of a similar situation last year, when the same thing happened to me.” The beast said he was glad to be back on the podium, after having failed to finish in the top three in the last two races. “After qualifying fifth, I knew it would be difficult, so I am glad to have finished third,” he said.
As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.com
