Phil: I Was Having a Blog... can exclusively reveal the greatest grand prix ever, in the opinion of today's crop of F1 drivers.
Before each race, the BBC have been asking one driver to name his five favourite grands prix, one of which will then be broadcast on iPlayer. Some have gone for great races of the past, others for personal triumphs of their own. Adding up their votes gives us today's grand prix drivers' favourite race of all time.
Our slightly misshapen podium of races is as follows.
3=. France 1979 (4 votes). Something of a landmark for many reasons. Won by Jean-Pierre Jabouille (who?) in a Renault, victory at the French grand prix went to a French driver in a French car on French tyres. It was also the first time a grand prix had been won by a turbocharged car. But the reason it scored so highly was Jabouille's teammate Rene Arnoux's battle for second place with Gilles Villeneuve. Put it this way, these days the stewards would have sent them both to the naughty corner.
3=. Japan 1989 (4 votes). Alessandro Nannini's only career victory, but again that's probably not why most drivers chose it. The second last race of the 1980s was the absolute apex of the rivalry between Prost and Senna. Some say Senna went for a gap that wasn't there. Others say Prost turned in on him. The stewards followed Prost's point of view and disqualified Senna, who had rejoined the race after the inevitable collision, making Nannini race winner and Prost world champion.
3=. Belgium 2000 (4 votes). Schumacher always says his greatest rival was Mika Hakkinen, and this race features what's been called the greatest overtake ever, by Hakkinen on Schumacher with Ricardo Zonta as the meat in the sandwich. Interestingly, one of the drivers who voted for this race was none other than Michael Schumacher. He does have a heart, after all.
2. Brazil 2008 (6 votes). Surely the only time the world championship has been decided on the last lap on the last race, and surely the only time it ever will be, either. Felipe Massa had to win to be world champion. Lewis Hamilton only had to be fifth. On the last lap, with Massa in the lead and Hamilton sixth, it began to rain. Massa crossed the line, thinking he was world champion. But at the second last corner Hamilton, on intermediate tyres, passed Timo Glock on slicks to take fifth place, and the world championship.
1. Europe 1993 (7 votes). Murray Walker calls it, 'the greatest lap ever driven, by anybody', and he should know - he's watched enough. Senna's first lap in the wet at Donington Park, overtaking Prost, Schumacher, Damon Hill and Karl Wendlinger - fifth to first in one lap - made them all look like schoolboys. Watching it again, if you didn't know what was going to happen, you wouldn't think it was possible. Who said it was a stupid idea to have a race in England in March?
So Senna gets to spray champagne down the back of Massa's and Hakkinen's overalls (I don't think they'd mind) and we get to listen to the European national anthem (Beethoven's Ode to Joy, in case you were wondering). Interestingly this contest also had a nail-biting climax, with the last two on 6 votes each going into the final round, before Jenson Button cast the deciding vote.
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Saturday 19 November 2011
Rallying
Phil: I admit, in my younger days I was every bit as much a fan of rallying as I was (and still am) of F1.
But that was in the glory days of Kankunnen, Sainz, McRae and Makkinen, when rallying was on terrestrial TV, and before it became more than a little predictable, with Sebastien Loeb's unbroken run of eight world championships. I haven't watched a rally in nearly a decade, but I searched out BBC Wales' coverage of the Wales Rally GB online.
The rally, the last this WRC season, was actually won by Ford's no 2 Jari-Matti Latvala, in a Fiesta (the new formula restricts engine capacity to 1.6 litres - gone are the days of turbocharged Lancia Deltas and Subaru Imprezas) after all his main rivals, including Loeb, dropped out. Among the retirements was a very familiar name - none other than 2007 F1 champion, Kimi Raikkonen.
Raikkonen, who may be on his way back to F1 after an unimpressive 10th place in this year's championship, featured but briefly in the coverage, a shot of him standing by his 'parked' Citroen DS3 - parked in a ditch on a Welsh forest track with a knackered radiator.
He was holding an A4 piece of laminated card with the word 'OK' in green writing, presumably a safety measure designed to inform later drivers there was no need to stop.
I wonder what the one with brown writing on says?
But that was in the glory days of Kankunnen, Sainz, McRae and Makkinen, when rallying was on terrestrial TV, and before it became more than a little predictable, with Sebastien Loeb's unbroken run of eight world championships. I haven't watched a rally in nearly a decade, but I searched out BBC Wales' coverage of the Wales Rally GB online.
The rally, the last this WRC season, was actually won by Ford's no 2 Jari-Matti Latvala, in a Fiesta (the new formula restricts engine capacity to 1.6 litres - gone are the days of turbocharged Lancia Deltas and Subaru Imprezas) after all his main rivals, including Loeb, dropped out. Among the retirements was a very familiar name - none other than 2007 F1 champion, Kimi Raikkonen.
Raikkonen, who may be on his way back to F1 after an unimpressive 10th place in this year's championship, featured but briefly in the coverage, a shot of him standing by his 'parked' Citroen DS3 - parked in a ditch on a Welsh forest track with a knackered radiator.
He was holding an A4 piece of laminated card with the word 'OK' in green writing, presumably a safety measure designed to inform later drivers there was no need to stop.
I wonder what the one with brown writing on says?
Monday 14 November 2011
Lewis love-in
Phil: Just when we thought the season was all over, a Vettel DNF and a Lewis love-in. Who'd have thought it?
For most of this season, Hamilton has seemed unable to do anything right. I've lost count of the number of times he's tangled with Felipe Massa, sometimes at successive race weekends. We speculated that it might be personal issues, or the fact that for the first time in his career he's been consistently outraced by his teammate. Whatever it was, he put his demons to bed yesterday and his second (or third?) race win of the year.
Not only that, but a reconciliation, nay even a love-in, with his old arch-rival Fernando Alonso. Embracing on the podium? 'The greatest driver of his generation' (or something like that)?
Maybe Vettel's puncture robbed us of a titanic scrap for the win, or maybe Vettel would have walked it given four tyres with air in rather than three. But the second half of this season to my mind has been a bit flat. Vettel has been driving within himself and the others, as I've commented before, seem to have the same tussles for the same places - Alonso against Webber, Hamiton against Massa, Schumacher against Rosberg - every race. Don't get me wrong, the first half of the season gave us some classic races - Canada will stay in my mind for a long time - even though the championship was never really in doubt, but now the fizz has well and truly gone out of it, as if each driver knows his part in the play and acts it accordingly.
So we go on to 2012. The top four teams are retaining their current line-ups (which may well mean more of the same next year) but further down the grid things are more fluid. As we've said, three drivers are in the running for the no 1 seat at Williams, of all places: Barrichello, Sutil and potentially a returning Kimi Raikkonen. Let's hope that if and when Frank Williams calls Raikkonen to offer him a drive, he's not too busy having a shit to take the call. Actually, let's hope he is.
There are no less than four drivers in the offing at Renault, who we must remember to call Lotus next year. Rumour has it they'll go for Grosjean, who's famous for not being as crap as Nelson Piquet Jr., and Petrov, who isn't famous for anything. Personally I'd much rather see Bruno Senna, and a fully recovered Robert Kubica.
But then at least one of those options, sadly, is starting to look very unlikely.
For most of this season, Hamilton has seemed unable to do anything right. I've lost count of the number of times he's tangled with Felipe Massa, sometimes at successive race weekends. We speculated that it might be personal issues, or the fact that for the first time in his career he's been consistently outraced by his teammate. Whatever it was, he put his demons to bed yesterday and his second (or third?) race win of the year.
Not only that, but a reconciliation, nay even a love-in, with his old arch-rival Fernando Alonso. Embracing on the podium? 'The greatest driver of his generation' (or something like that)?
Maybe Vettel's puncture robbed us of a titanic scrap for the win, or maybe Vettel would have walked it given four tyres with air in rather than three. But the second half of this season to my mind has been a bit flat. Vettel has been driving within himself and the others, as I've commented before, seem to have the same tussles for the same places - Alonso against Webber, Hamiton against Massa, Schumacher against Rosberg - every race. Don't get me wrong, the first half of the season gave us some classic races - Canada will stay in my mind for a long time - even though the championship was never really in doubt, but now the fizz has well and truly gone out of it, as if each driver knows his part in the play and acts it accordingly.
So we go on to 2012. The top four teams are retaining their current line-ups (which may well mean more of the same next year) but further down the grid things are more fluid. As we've said, three drivers are in the running for the no 1 seat at Williams, of all places: Barrichello, Sutil and potentially a returning Kimi Raikkonen. Let's hope that if and when Frank Williams calls Raikkonen to offer him a drive, he's not too busy having a shit to take the call. Actually, let's hope he is.
There are no less than four drivers in the offing at Renault, who we must remember to call Lotus next year. Rumour has it they'll go for Grosjean, who's famous for not being as crap as Nelson Piquet Jr., and Petrov, who isn't famous for anything. Personally I'd much rather see Bruno Senna, and a fully recovered Robert Kubica.
But then at least one of those options, sadly, is starting to look very unlikely.
Sunday 6 November 2011
A few things...
Justin: My co-blogger and I decided on keeping a dignified silence over the last few weeks. Blogging on the ins and outs of F1 just sort of paled into insignificance with the 2 fatalaties that world motorsport has seen over the period.
F1 is as safe as it has ever been, but that doesn't mean the drivers don't understand that they take a risk everytime they go racing. They all know it and accept it and just hope nothing untoward happens. Vettel touched upon this during the Indian GP weekend. In fact, I must say that the F1 drivers observed an impeccable minutes silence on the grid and the top 3 of Vettel, Button and Alonso gave rather honest and moving tributes in the press conference. Both Button and Alonso looked visibly upset and choked at various points.
Lewis Hamilton even pointed out that if he were to die, he'd rather it be in an f1 car doing what he loves. Thats not a direct quote, but I do recall him saying something along those lines. So, we can at least be thankful that Dan and Marco both died doing what they loved to do. Both knew the very real risks. More than anything, their deaths serve as a reminder to everyone that there are very real risks involved with all motorsports.
Whenever a big accident happens, all fraterneties look to see how they can improve safety. It is clear that something needs to be improved in Indycar. 34 cars on a 1.5 mile oval was just asking for trouble. MotoGP safety cannot really be improved much as once a rider comes off the bike, theres nothing to do but hope nothing nasty happens.
I sort of understand the f1 driver mindset a bit. They get into the car and go as fast as they can, end of. They forget the risks, the negatives once inside the cockpit. When I go go-karting I just drive as fast and hard as I physically can. There have been many times where I've almost put it into the tyre wall, bouncing around a corner onto a main straight, exploring the limits...sort of aware that the wall is a risk, but at the same time not bothered by it in the pursuit of a very fast lap. It's reaching the extreme limit and pushing, pushing.
Anyway, with two races left, the tital is well over and its up to those left to fight it out for 2nd place. My driver of the year would be a choice between the top 3 or probably Paul Di Resta. He has had a fantastic debut year. Vettel is the youngest ever double world champion, Button has outdriven Hamilton all year and is driving the best he has ever drivem whilst Alonso is wringing the neck of the Ferrari to outdrive the third best car on the grid - he is ahead of two better cars in the championship.
Over to you co-blogger.
F1 is as safe as it has ever been, but that doesn't mean the drivers don't understand that they take a risk everytime they go racing. They all know it and accept it and just hope nothing untoward happens. Vettel touched upon this during the Indian GP weekend. In fact, I must say that the F1 drivers observed an impeccable minutes silence on the grid and the top 3 of Vettel, Button and Alonso gave rather honest and moving tributes in the press conference. Both Button and Alonso looked visibly upset and choked at various points.
Lewis Hamilton even pointed out that if he were to die, he'd rather it be in an f1 car doing what he loves. Thats not a direct quote, but I do recall him saying something along those lines. So, we can at least be thankful that Dan and Marco both died doing what they loved to do. Both knew the very real risks. More than anything, their deaths serve as a reminder to everyone that there are very real risks involved with all motorsports.
Whenever a big accident happens, all fraterneties look to see how they can improve safety. It is clear that something needs to be improved in Indycar. 34 cars on a 1.5 mile oval was just asking for trouble. MotoGP safety cannot really be improved much as once a rider comes off the bike, theres nothing to do but hope nothing nasty happens.
I sort of understand the f1 driver mindset a bit. They get into the car and go as fast as they can, end of. They forget the risks, the negatives once inside the cockpit. When I go go-karting I just drive as fast and hard as I physically can. There have been many times where I've almost put it into the tyre wall, bouncing around a corner onto a main straight, exploring the limits...sort of aware that the wall is a risk, but at the same time not bothered by it in the pursuit of a very fast lap. It's reaching the extreme limit and pushing, pushing.
Anyway, with two races left, the tital is well over and its up to those left to fight it out for 2nd place. My driver of the year would be a choice between the top 3 or probably Paul Di Resta. He has had a fantastic debut year. Vettel is the youngest ever double world champion, Button has outdriven Hamilton all year and is driving the best he has ever drivem whilst Alonso is wringing the neck of the Ferrari to outdrive the third best car on the grid - he is ahead of two better cars in the championship.
Over to you co-blogger.
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