“When your effort is given, your greatest victory will never be the one you want most, or most need, but the one you least expect”. Round 11 of the Formula 1 World Championship 2008 reaches the warm climate of Budapest, Hungary. It is race day here on Sunday and the weather as expected in the natural valley of Mogyoród where the track lies, is warm if not scorching. For race driver Felipe Massa, the last two races have been judged his worst – countless mistakes, poor race craft – critics deem him to be undeserving of being in the hunt for Driver’s Champion; but today he will dare to show his critics otherwise. Felipe line’s up 3rd on the grid having just completed the warm up lap – his tyres should now be warmed up to help him get the best start off the grid and ‘the best start’ is all he will be aiming for knowing that his two closest rivals start ahead of him on the grid in first and second positions One by one, the five 'start' light's appear. His heart beating around 150 plus beats a minute as he prepares for the five light's to go out – brief pause, don’t hold your breath – and GO!! Felipe’s car has eased away from the grid in perfection as he overtakes his first rival, but he won’t think about him as already he’s tucked into the draft of the next car in front as he builds up to 170mph from 0mph in an easy 5.5 seconds. Moving right, now darting left; Felipe intends to take the wider line around turn 1 to try and overtake his rival who is on the inside line. A quick lock of the brakes as Felipe begins to slow from 170mph to 55mph in a few blinks of the eye, but he quickly eases off the brakes to grasp his racing line and turn aggressively to block off his rival’s path to prevent him from running as wide as he will so that his rival can’t keep him behind – that ‘best start’ Felipe wanted - job done – and I in delight can’t contain my cheer; now for the next hour and 45 minutes. - As with life, you should never take anything for granted in Formula 1 – an event as complex as life itself – success and reason can be taken from you in an instant - Felipe had managed to run his first stint in sweet form compared to the expectations of the team’s rivals and as he continues to lead the race, he holds a consistent three second gap over championship leader and rival who is himself in second place and willing as much as he try to turn that three second gap into two and then one – but such is Felipe’s blistering pace, his rival has no choice than to keep trying. First round pit-stops take place and Felipe continues to emerge in first place, leading the race with still 51 laps to go out of 70 – the day is far from over. Rivals behind him now start to churn with worry as Felipe’s pace is nothing like they expected – take nothing for granted remember. Lap 40 with 30 to go; Felipe’s adrenaline still pumping; his heart tensing with the possibility of victory being his and yet his heart continues to beat at no less than 130 beats a minute and with the slower cars he is closing up on to lap, those beat’s might just increase a few more. But he negotiates the slower cars just nicely and to add to his and the team’s pleasure, the gap to second place is now 5 seconds; given Felipe’s consistency – most would already say ‘game over’. The last few races have been tough and witnessing this determined fight back, I can’t help but glow in sheer excitement, with even a little thought for myself that maybe somewhere up there, my mom is working a little magic – she was a fan of Felipe. Lap following lap, Felipe drive's the corners, kerbs and racing line to utter perfection – hitting all the sweet spots that turn him around the track like a car on rails. Then on the screens I see by his distinct yellow helmet that the second place driver is off the track – I jump for joy in rioting fashion, punching my knees several times in happiness and the likelihood that victory is soon ours with the added fact that his closest rival is now dropping further down the points. Felipe too will have got a message over the radio, “Hamilton is off the track. He has a left front puncture”. Felipe too would want to jump for joy to release the excitement within him, but no, the focus on the job is required – he can flinch with excitement when the race is over. The rest of the field drove through their own troubles as Felipe continued to drive down the laps until there were only 3 left to the end of the race and that much needed victory. He crosses the line to start that very third lap to victory, but it's not to be. Life strikes the engine sitting behind Felipe screaming for him to stop, which his car does in an unwilling desire to carry on – take nothing for granted, remember. Felipe pulls over by the pit-wall on the start finish straight; he climbs out of his sweltering cockpit, jumps over the wall and walks back to his garage despondently, sick to the brim in his helmet of what should’ve been! After the moments of subdued happiness at Massa’s awe inspiring start and Hamilton’s puncture, where I then sat tensely to await the hopeful victory that my team would have, the next split moment of seeing Felipe’s race coming to an abrupt end, I couldn’t help but smile. Naturally, I’d care to drown my sorrows in what ever way I can as much as I’m sure Felipe will, but that’s life, these things happen. You have good times, but you will also have bad times. The lesson to be learnt is that there is always next time! Next race then, huh Felipe? The thought I really took from this race is that I have so much that is good in my life. I have friends that will be by my side for life. I have a family that lives on in my heart and that lives by me in a way that words can’t explain… and I have the dream of a girl that dares to come true. “We are not without going through bad times, but take pleasure in what you really have; for with everything else - there is always next time”.