New star on horizon

Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso are certainly the toast of the Formula One world right now, the former having won the season opener in Melbourne and the later the second race in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, has emerged as the darling of the crowd for his daring driving skill and style that were more than evident when he overtook the Ferraris to finish second in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
In the middle of the grid, Nick Heidfeld in a resurgent BMW-Sauber is the surprise package having found that extra pace and reassuring reliability.  Defending champions Renault are also not very far behind either with Ginacarlo Fisichella and debutant Heikki Kovalainen pushing the early leaders true and hard.
But my eyes have been on Felipe Massa for quite some time now. True talent was always there right from the time when Peter Sauber surprised everyone by signing the Brazilian at the beginning of 2002, but it is in the last couple of years, with Sauber in 2005 and Ferrari in 2006 as the understudy to Michael Schumacher, that the 26-year-old has emerged as a potential champion who can very well become a popular one too.
I know I’m sticking my neck out here, but I’m not afraid that Massa is my man for the 2007 driver’s championship, just like Roger Federer was when Peter Sampras was winning all the Grand Slam titles in tennis.
In Massa I see flashes of the great Aryton Senna and glimpses of Schumacher himself. He has the spirit of the former and the indomitable will to win of the latter, here I’m sticking my neck out again, particularly after what happened in Sepang on Sunday where he was quite shabby in two ambitious overtaking manoeuvers.
But to counterbalance that is Massa’s drive at the same venue last year when he managed from almost the back of the grid (21st) to fifth, beating even Schumacher who started from 14th. The same grit and gumption was on display last month in Melbourne when Massa fought from the back of the grid using a one-pitstop strategy to finish sixth.
I suspect Massa is going through the same phase that Federer did prior to becoming the  undisputed champion with eight Grand Slam trophies and 39 career titles. It’s like the lull before the storm, if you know what I mean.
I like the Massa-Federer comparison. Not simply for physical similarities, but for their role model aura as well. Both are 26, almost same in built, clean-shaven and clear-cut in their objectives, and above all an epitome for discipline, dedication and determination.
Federer has already taken tennis to new heights. His athleticism, lithe body language and sanguine playing style makes winning look so simple yet sublime. He is already rated as one of the all time greats and one of the most popular champions.
Massa I feel can go the same distance. It he does it will be the best thing that can happen to Formula One which clearly lacks champions with Alonso the only one on the grid right now.
At another level, Brazil needs a champion too. The sports loving nation has had a barren run since the untimely death of Senna in 1994. The soccer World Cup has slipped away and the tennis talent has dried out since former World No 1 Gustavo Kuerten faded into obscurity. The only way Brazil is making news on the sports pages is through crime and grime.
Massa can change all this. He himself has come up the hard way, has seen the underbelly of Sao Paulo and the Formula One world as well. So, he has the right motives as well as strong motivation.
Massa’s career is still nascent. But
the flashes of brilliance are visible. At Sauber, he repeatedly upstaged former champion Jacques Villeneuve, but the turning point I think was moving to Ferrari as a test driver in 2003.
It was here that the ‘enfant terrible’ matured as a driver and a person. Since then his career graph has zoomed. The years 2004 and 2005 were good learning experiences with Sauber and his encouraging results won him a place at Ferrari, besides Schumacher, last year. That’s the launching pad he was waiting for.
Massa was very impressive last year though the changing of baton from Schumacher to Alonso and their intense battle for the driver’s title was the talk of the town. Massa was third in the standings, but with two victories, three poles, seven podium finishes and 80 points he had announced his arrival.
The maiden victory in Turkey was remarkable for its planning and execution, and the one in Brazil nostalgic for it was the first by a Brazilian since Senna’s victory in 1993. It may well become the first of many more to come and a fitting tribute to Senna.
The new season may not have not gone as planned for Massa with teething problems in Melbourne and technical mistakes in Malaysia depriving him podium points. But on both occasions, the Ferrari car looked ominously fast and Massa himself in championship form for large parts of the race. That is a definite positive and an encouraging sign for my prognosis that Massa is indeed a champion in the making.
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has already said that Massa is the favourite for the title. I generally disagree with Ecclestone on a majority of issues, but on this I’m very happy to go with him.

F1 turning point
Vijay Mruthyunjaya