Hi there, racing fans, and welcome to the mid-season review. Today we look at the winners and grinners, the unlucky and unhappy, and the general outlook for the rest of the season. Come with me now as we wander down the list to see who's a contender for the first GTPlanet 2006 F1 championship.
Leading the field is Carl Audet, driving this year with Renault. Retirements in Melbourne and Nurburgring are the only black marks here, as this championship contender has otherwise finished in the top six in every race. Wins in Barcelona and again recently in Montreal have cemented Audet as the favourite with the bookies. Can anybody keep up with Audet's speed?
Simon Trendell of Honda believes he can match it with Audet, and he currently lies just 2 points adrift of our leader. With just one retirement at Nurburgring, Trendell is looking good to deliver the goods for his team heading in to the seconf half of this fierce championship. Only one winner's trophy in the cabinet so far, but a string of second places shows the strength and reliability of his chosen chariot.
Audet's Renault team mate, Duncan Hutchison, is placed third on the ladder and, like Trendell, consistancy is paying off for this amazing Brit. No wins so far, but the speed is there so watch out! Sometimes percieved as playing second fiddle to Audet, but this could not be further from the truth.
Lee Davidson, piloting a Honda, is snapping closely at Hutchison's heels. Fourth place comes thanks to wins in Bahrain and Monaco, but Davidson really needs to focus on setting a steady pace and banking valuable podium finishes if he wants to lay hands on the champion's trophy.
Blake Haswell, Jef Beyens, Brett Edwards and Abdeslam Charkaoui fill the next four spots. With four wins between them this group have shown they have what it takes to run with the leaders, but a lack of podiums is really holding back the charge. Beyens holds the most promise here, although his driving is sometimes best described as 'self destructive'. Watch for these guys to make a surge in the next few races as it becomes a matter of do-or-die.
Lloyd Ramos and Ashley Butler round out the top ten with their spirited, but sometimes misguided driving. Ramos started with some real promise but a retirement at Melbourne seems to have shaken his confidence in his car. Recent results have been better - a promise of things to come perhaps? Butler started the season with two shockers but has come good since then. Williams will need to provide better technical support if this current streak is to improve.
So that about wraps it up for the mid-season review. Can Audet hold on for the remaining races? Will one of the mid pack drivers find a much needed breakthrough? Will the championship go down to the wire? Stayed tuned to find out.
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