Last year was one of failures in English sport, as our teams narrowly missed out on a Rugby World Cup crown and a limp and lifeless Euro 2008 qualification campaign made up the misery  for football fans.

But the last-gasp disappointment for F1 star Lewis Hamilton should not be considered a failure as it was nothing short of a monumental performance which just ran out of gas. And 2008 is a new year bringing hope for Britain’s newest hero.

In a season that was the first of the post-Michael Schumacher era, the 23-year-old Hertfordshire lad helped keep the sport above water. The importance of the German legend on the sport of Formula One can not be overestimated. Bernie Ecclestone, Max Mosley and the FIA needed an exciting season with new sights for a sport that had for too long depended on huge support that followed Schumy’s every move. Hamilton was the driver to do just that, and he didn’t disappoint.

'The last-gasp disappointment for F1 star Lewis Hamilton should not be considered a failure'


The climax to the 2007 season couldn’t have been more dramatic and the young McLaren driver, along with the mesmerising Finn Kimi Raikkonen helped breathe new life into F1. And the signs point to another great spectacle this year.

There are new faces including Nelson Piquet Junior and illustrious Champ Car legend Sébastien Bourdais as well as the rising stars in the field such as Heikki Kovalainen whose performances earned him a spot at McLaren in place of Fernando Alonso (his return to Renault will also be an interesting prospect). Many will believe that the Spaniard’s return could give the French team a realistic prospect at the title, but this may simply be wishful thinking given their poor reliability in 2007.

There were off-circuit issues that brought unnecessary media attention to the sport, the spygate saga and the moaning antics of Alonso come to mind. One would hope that the action on the track makes the back page news this year and with a young hope like Hamilton surging through there is every chance that this F1 season will be a truly memorable one.

I can’t wait to hear the engines running and the red lights to go out.