Sports
#Merciromain:
the story of a disastrous crash
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-n. shriman kumarappan
People ask what it takes to be a Formula One driver, or a racing driver in any discipline for that matter. The answer is quite simple - to be extremely fit physically, to have a technical understanding of one's machinery, etc. Though what defines the line between those who nearly make it to F1 and those who get to F1 (apart from sponsorship reasons) is that the latter group do not fear anyone or anything. They are in one sense superheroes. The fact that Romain Grosjean got out of that car, alive, is a testament to how good the FIA have been in implementing safety measures. Although Sunday's race may have been painful to watch, with those who deserved podiums and good results like Perez being denied them and instead those who did not deserve those good results inheriting them. As for Grosjean, if he is to retire at the end of the year, then he can do so with his mind at peace. Despite his crashes, despite his misadventures, despite his mistakes on track, he will go down in history as one of the greatest drivers to have never won a grand prix - having nearly done so a couple of times in the early 2010s, and having been denied for no fault of his own. #MerciRomain
F1 driver Romain Grosjean had a close-shave with certain death in the recent Bahrain Grand Prix
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India tour of australia
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-Devansh mishra
The ODI series culminated on Wednesday, with the home team walking away with the honours with two wins, and the Men in Blue scalped one win in the final match. The series saw power-packed performances with the bat from both sides, with Aaron Finch and Hardik Pandya from their respective teams. Warner and Finch consistently gave Australia the starts they required, and Smith and Maxwell provided the finishes they needed. From the other side, it was either KL or Virat who provided the foundation for Pandya and Jadeja to finish off the innings.
Captain Kohli celebrating after Aaron Finch's wicket
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From the bowling department, Australia’s line-up looked formidable and strong, and they came out all guns blazing in the first two matches, with it getting a total make-over in the third to give youngsters a chance. Hazelwood and Cummins lead from the front, performing well in all the matches they played. On the other hand, India’s attack felt very feeble and out-of-form. Bowlers weren’t able to get their line and lengths right, and were hammered around the park. Bumrah and Shami looked out-of-sorts, and the spinners weren’t very effective either. A possible explanation could be the workload of the IPL taking a toll on their bodies, but excuses isn’t the way to go.
In the field, both teams had mediocre outings, as plenty of sitters were put to the ground. Runs leaked and catches dropped, neither team could enforce the other to commit a mistake. On the whole, Australia would be mighty impressed with their performance, and India will have a lot of homework to do.
Indians rejoice at the fall of a wicket.
Source: AajTak
The T20I series too got underway with the first one happening on Friday. India triumphed by 11 runs in a tense game, pulling it back in the final moments of the game. KL Rahul and Finch top-scored from either side. A major talking point was the roping in of Yuzi Chahal as a concussion substitute for Ravindra Jadeja, who later turned out to be the game-changer with his wrist-spin. Commentators on air were suggesting these rules to be re-checked by the ICC officials.
Source: Cricbuzz
CAN VALTTERI BOTTAS BECOME THE 34TH FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPION?
-n. shriman kumarappan
It’s highly unlikely - but it’s very possible. Bottas has been Mr. Unlucky this season. He should have won three of the past four races, having led during the early stages, until Hamilton either caught up with him, or Mercedes gave Hamilton a different strategy. It’s clear that Mercedes would rather have Hamilton making history than Bottas winning a world championship. Though, if the racing gods do not favour Lewis, Valtteri is not far behind!
Can Bottas defy all expectations to reign supreme?
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Let’s go back to 2016. Not a lot of people saw Rosberg taking the title away from Hamilton - especially Mercedes, and then he dominated the opening rounds. Mercedes are a team that I respect from a technical perspective, although I do not agree with their way of handling drivers. Bottas should have won three of the last four races - having led in the early stages. As if by luck, Hamilton suddenly found a way past him. Now, it’s extremely possible that Hamilton was just outright faster. That said, it is also very possible that Toto Wolff decided to hand Hamilton his seventh title on a platter. I would not be surprised at all if Hamilton were to finish ahead of Bottas in every one-two for Mercedes next year.
On that note, Schumacher held the record for the most wins in Formula One. Hamilton broke that record to become, in one sense, the greatest of all time after winning his seventh title. So many people seem to be upset that Schuamcher is no longer the record holder for most wins. That is probably how people felt when Prost went past Fangio, and when Michael himself went past Prost, in terms of wins. And that's how people will feel when Hamilton’s record is broken 25 years down the line as another was two decades ago by a certain kid from Germany.
WILL SERGIO PEREZ WILL DRIVE FOR RED BULL RACING IN 2021?
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-n. shriman kumarappan
Sergio Perez is widely considered one of the greatest drivers to have never won a Grand Prix. His performance last Sunday was a testament to this. Perez and Alex Albon have been mirror images of each other this season. The former has the third best car on the grid, and is the only driver apart from Hamilton, Bottas and Verstappen to have scored a hundred points or more. Most importantly, what really stands out is that if Racing Point had not made some strategic blunders, Perez would have many more points. Alex Albon, with the second best car on the grid, has simply not been able to match even the Renaults and McLarens of late, let alone his teammate.
Will Sergio Perez drive for Red Bull in the next season?
Source: Red Bull
I’d say that the only reason Albon is still in the car after being lapped by Max is because the Yoovidhya family own half of Red Bull. While Dietrich Mateschitz calls the shots in the racing outfit, the Thai family have the right to make their own opinions clear as well. Although, they will never compromise their business and Albon’s poor performance is millions of dollars lost in terms of prize money. Red Bull, despite Ferrari’s woes, are only barely ahead of the total they had at this point last year. They need two drivers fighting for position up front, in a car that is no doubt difficult to drive. Perez has been the lion of the midfield in the last few years. He also brings in a lot of sponsorship from Mexico, and his experience could be valuable to a team that is desperate to get back to their winning-ways. Sergio’s only real competition for the seat is Nico Hulkenberg, whom he spent two out of three years at Force India beating. I see no reason as to why he will not be in the RB16 next year. Alex Albon throwing away what could have been a win in Turkey did not help him in his cause either. It would be a travesty if this man would not be on the grid next year!