My Formula One interest started in the mid to late nighties. I followed and watched a few races during the Ayrton Senna era, but it wasn’t until 97, in the echo of Jacques Villneneuve’s debute season and in the prospect that Michael Schumacher was going to bring Ferrari their first driver’s title in 19 years, that brought me close to the sport, business circus of Formula One.

My interest in Formula One came from the Italian side of the family; my uncle, Franco Mangione, to name names. Every summer that our family went down to Taranto, Pulgia, I watched at least one race with Franco. The race normally occured during Sunday lunch. Live kitchen noise mixed with engine sounds via the TV.

That’s about 10 seasons. The 2004 (Michael Schumacher last title) and 2005 (Fernando Alonso first title) season I didn’t follow closely (just a few races). I moved to London in August 2003 and my life got a bit preoccupied with new ventures and distractions.

What brought me back to F1 for the end of the 2005 season was a TV in the shopping window at one of many electric stores at the end of Tottenham Court Road, London. It wasn’t the actual TV, but the race they were showing on it. I was walking down Tottenham Court Road after having visited my optician further up the road and ended up standing out on the street for the remainder of the race.

One of the beauties of Formula One is that it’s just one league. One season for the entire world. So no matter where you are in the world, you can follow the Formula One season.

Over these 10 seasons I have seen most of the races in Sweden, a few in Italy, and the last two mainly in the United Kingdom. When I first started watching the F1 here in the UK i was extremity impressed with the quality of the broadcast and it’s commentators. The Swedish sport commentators: Artur Ringart and Eje Elgh, were mortifyingly embarrassing. So Mark Blundell, Steve Rider, James Allen, Martin Brundle, Louise Goodman and Ted Kravitz I have seen as a very nice upgrade, and I have truly enjoyed the upgrade to ITV coverage. Until 2007 and Lewis Hamilton.

Duncan Stephen over at the brilliant doctorvee.co.uk, sensed the Lewis Hamilton heat already after three races, and called it, admirably, a ‘Lewis Hamilton wank-fest’:

ITV’s coverage. ITV have spent the past few years creaming their pants over the distinctly average Jenson Button. Now that a genuinely good British driver has arrived it is just one big Lewis Hamilton wank-fest.

Personally i find commentators at ITV (and the rest of biased British media, with the exception of Martin Brundle, i kind of like Martin — he knows stuff) have been a disgrace. The closest comparison i can think of is Fox news and the Republicans.

Many claim it was the best and most exciting Formula One season in years. I can’t whole-heartedly disagree with that — it has been very exciting. But no matter how you spin the wheel, no matter how you look at it, it’s been tainted and it’s been extremely unfair. Only people with their heads up their own ass — smelling their own brand — can look upon this season and say it’s been anything but an embarrassment in sportsmanship and management.

And even if this season has been exciting, we shouldn’t forget that it has also held some of the most boring races (that at least i have ever seen). It’s mainly the last three races that raised the whole season to a triumph season.

When writing about the 2007 season, it’s almost an obligation to mention the new world champion Kimi Räikkönen. What a hero. I can relate to Kimi and the Suomi way of doing things. It’s admirable.

I’m really looking forward to next year. I hope and honestly think that it will be so much better and fair. My only worry is that Kimi and Ferrari are “warm in their shoes” and will dominate. Let’s hope a third, or even fourth, team joins the front runners in 2008. And let’s hope the British media and the F1 stewards looks at the sport with even eyes.