Intrigue in the fast lane, internecine warfare and bitter personal rivalry between the leading actors set against the backdrop of a multimillion dollar business where the line between fantasy and reality is often blurred.
This could easily have been the script for the next Hollywood blockbuster from the pen of John Grisham but was in fact the recipe served up to motor racing fans in a season that few will forget in a hurry.
This year's campaign may have left McLaren boss Ron Dennis with a few less hairs, but no one can deny that all the drama on and off the track has injected much needed life into a sport that can act as an antidote to even the most acute case of insomnia.
He could never have realized it at the time but when Ferrari's sacked mechanic Nigel Stepney put the stamps on that infamous 780-page dossier and popped it in the post to his mate Mike Coughlan over at McLaren he did the sport a huge service.
At least for the impartial armchair observer for in that treasonable act Stepney set off a chain of events that has kept F1 fans glued to their seats throughout this turbulent but fascinating season.
A season that draws to a close on Sunday in Interlagos where Lewis Hamilton is in a three-way fight to crown a remarkable debut year by clinching the drivers' title.
The "X" factor is something the entertainment industry craves but it has been the "H" factor in the shape of the brilliant young Briton that has brought the sport a wave of new fans.
From his third place in his first ever grand prix back in Melbourne in March Hamilton has confounded convention and driven with the skill, verve and nerve of a Fangio or Schumacher. In so doing he's shredded the F1 record books.
In Australia he produced the best finish by an Englishman in his debut race since 1966, in Spain he became the youngest driver to lead a championship and if everything goes his way in Interlagos he'll become the first driver to win the championship in his rookie season.
The fact that he is also the first driver of Afro-Caribbean descent to race in Formula One let alone score any points or win four races is now a mere footnote on his cv.
Hamilton's achievement is all the more noteworthy given he's had to get on with the job of driving his car faster than his pitlane rivals with various storms brewing overhead.
Spygate at one stage looked dangerously close to wrecking his title bid when McLaren were found guilty of possessing data from Ferrari.
In the end the sport's governing body, the FIA, chose to strip McLaren of their constructors' points and impose a record US$1 million fine rather than penalize Hamilton and his teammate Fernando Alonso.
He's also had to contend with the complete meltdown in his relationship with double world champion Alonso.
Alonso, who along with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen can still win the title in Brazil, has fallen out big time with McLaren and Hamilton over his treatment at the British team since switching from Renault.
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38