Felipe Massa A Formula One Champion?

I've been watching F1 since Damon Hill was world champion, but I just can't say I love it.

Love is reserved for Glasgow Rangers and the beautiful game I suppose.

Having said that, I never miss a race!

F1 is part of my sporting schedule, be it qualifying or race day, I'm glued to the fortunes of David Coulthard.

My love for the sport has waned in recent years and is probably in no small part due to the declining fortunes of DC and his slipping down the grid.

That probably sounds shallow to those diehard fans out there but I can't help my feelings.

So what am I if I don't miss a race and check up on all the news, yet don't have a current love for the sport?

A sporting freak I guess!

On Sunday, as usual, I settled down to watch the Hungarian Grand Prix with, for some reason, a renewed optimism.

Obviously nothing do to with DC's qualifying performance.

My pre-race thoughts on Felipe Massa were that he was simply not good enough. His performance at Silverstone in the British GP was that of a back marker and for a quality driver to struggle so badly, seemed beyond any stretch of the imagination.

Then the race started.

The Brazilian was sensational, starting perfectly and nailing a move into the first corner that any world champion would have been proud of.

His subsequent drive changed my whole opinion of a man who was very nearly the world championship leader.

He completely outshone his more illustrious team mate all weekend. I understand that Kimi Raikkonen has done the opposite more times than we can remember.

It's just that I felt I was witnessing something great, something passionate (not a Raikkonen trait) from a man desperate to prove he belongs at the pinnacle of F1.

And to me, he did!

Congratulations to Massa for a great drive that sadly ended so suddenly. It did, though, make the race even more entertaining and unpredictable.

A future world champion?

I'm not qualified to say yay or nay, but I'm sure someone out there will tell me.

There is something great in him, that is for sure.

I've thought long and hard about how to break into F1 coverage and having watched from the sidelines for so long, decided this was it.

I hope you enjoyed my heartfelt first piece on F1 and I'm sure it won't be my last.