The French Grand Prix weekend also marked the solstice, the longest day in the Northern hemisphere summer.
Associated with superstitions and annual rituals since pagan times, the solstice also has relevance to modern Formula One. As the days grow shorter, so too do the opportunities for the main championship challengers to recover from mishaps and disappointing race results.
Lewis Hamilton in the press conference while Kimi Raikkonen speaks © LAT |
In France, that had special significance for both McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. Going into the season, both stressed repeatedly that clockwork consistency would be the key factor in winning the championship.
Although both drivers have looked like champions at times, the season so far has paradoxically been marked by the very quality that all the front runners vowed to avoid - a lack of consistency. With three different race winners and championship leaders emerging from the past three race weekends, the 2008 campaign has effectively become a lottery.