Why F1 is Mega Cool

I will not bash sassifrascar today. I merely wish to worship F1.

So far, I think this is the best year ever in F1. Sure, we all liked watching Shumacher obliterate the field and every record ever set. We enjoyed trying to compare him to Fangio (which is nearly ridiculous because the sport today is nearly unrecognizable to the sport as it was then; just look at the steering wheels -- F1 Racing did a great article on this a few years ago). We enjoyed wondering what life would be like without him, what his legacy would be. We Americans LIVE for crowning people king (because we didn't have one until we got Obama). Of course, we're also terribly fickle, so just slowing down a wee bit on our track to let Barrichello pass will make your name mudd and get you booed.

And we loved watching Lewis Hamilton hit the scene like a bomb, creating his own "greatest ever" conversations. I suspect we did NOT love watching Kimi win in 2007 -- mostly because Kimi doesn't talk much, though if his antics of years past were more prevalently shared over here, we'd embrace him as our own bad boy. If only he partied with Diddy.

But this year, we're all over the place. Brawn? I mean, we all love Brawn but who ever heard of a new team coming out this successfully? I don't care how experienced you are ... I mean you've got your lead, last-minute sponsor hitting on your driver's girlfriend (we live for this gossip). That's gotta cause team distraction. Got to. But no. Out the come and they win.

And win again.

I've got Barrichello back up on the podium, his huge grin in the press conference and Jenson finally starting to live up to the potential we long suspected he had. But wait -- what's this? Vettel? VETTEL? Webber? Now, I adore Webber (in fact, I suspect most men do as well, he's that guy) but who doesn't love to see Red Bull finally up there? And Vettel carving out his name as the best man in the wet? It's awesome. All of it. Because it's a change, it's different. And, if you paid attention to how everyone finished in China, you know that the team drivers and cars are evenly matched and working together well -- that's how you stack your cars at the finish.

These days, all bets are off. Who knows who'll land on top. And do you know why this is possible? Well, my sporting friends, I'll tell you: they shook up the rules, teams took chances, and teams played it safe. It's creative out there. And it's mega cool.

And the drivers look cute in their coveralls. Except Villeneuve who likes them baggy and looks like he's in his PJs. But no one really likes him anyway. And that's why he's a truck driver now.