IN A new series, I will be looking back at six classic races every weekend from the country about to stage an event in the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship. This is my selection, of races held under the banner of the European Grand Prix, largely at the Nurburgring, with servings from Jerez and Donington Park between 1993 and 2010. Enjoy the archive!
1993 (Donington Park)
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| EFFORTLESS: Senna completes 'The Greatest Lap Ever,' passing Prost |
WINNER: Ayrton Senna (McLaren Ford), 2nd: Damon Hill (Williams Renault), 3rd: Alain Prost (Williams Renault)
AYRTON Senna’s greatest drive came on a damp and soggy Easter weekend in 1993. The Brazilian started fourth on the grid and got crowded out at the start, dropping to fifth. Unbelievably, he took the lead by the end of the first lap in the ‘Greatest First Lap’ ever driven. First, he slipped down the inside of Michael Schumacher into Redgate and then drove around the outside of Karl Wendlinger’s Sauber at the tricky Craner Curves. After a couple of fantastic corners, he muscled his way past Damon Hill and went after Alain Prost, edging past Prost in the Melbourne Hairpin section. He went on to win by a full minute. Wendlinger was taken out on the first lap by a hopeless Michael Andretti whilst Prost made seven comical pitstops on his way to third. He only got the podium after Rubens Barrichello cruelly stopped with four laps to go; his Jordan starved of fuel pressure when a rostrum in just his third ever race was on the cards.
1995 (Nurburgring)
WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Benetton Renault), 2nd: Jean Alesi (Ferrari), 3rd: David Coulthard (Williams Renault)
THIS was the day when Michael Schumacher virtually wrapped up his second championship with a stunning drive, that even Damon Hill couldn’t complain with. On a day when Hill needed to win, he drove appallingly. He made a bad start and then blew his chances by trying an ambitious lunge on Jean Alesi which saw the Williams front wing removed. Recovering and chasing down team-mate David Coulthard, Hill lost control on lap 59 and smashed into the tyres. Alesi had been brave enough to start on slicks on a damp track and led from the 11th lap onwards. However, he struggled to hold off a quicker Schumacher on worn rubber and with four laps to go, the German made an aggressive move in the final chicane which looked risky, but paid off. Alesi backed off and Schumacher went on to record his eighth win of a sensational 1995 season.
1997 (Jerez)
WINNER: Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes), 2nd: David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes), 3rd: Jacques Villeneuve (Williams Renault)
THE title decider in 1997 was between Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve. Schumacher was one point ahead heading to Jerez, and the title rivals started on the front row together after an unbelievable qualifying session that saw Villeneuve, Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen set the same exact time of 1.21.072! At the start, Villeneuve got Wheelspin and dropped to third behind the two Germans. Frentzen let Jacques go on lap nine, allowing the Canadian to closedown Schumacher’s 4.1second advantage. On lap 47, the Williams driver made his move into the Dry Sac bend. He slithered down the inside, as Schumacher made a blatant attempt to turn in on his title rival. It was significant contact, but Villeneuve continued, whilst the Ferrari rebounded into the gravel trap and out of the race. The Williams was damaged and Villeneuve backed off dramatically on the last lap, to allow the McLaren’s of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard through, as he only needed fifth for the title. Consequently, this meant that Hakkinen won his first race in Formula One, at his 96th attempt. Schumacher was blamed and vilified for the collision with Villeneuve and got a fine and expulsion from the final 1997 driver’s championship table for his actions.
1999 (Nurburgring)
WINNER: Johnny Herbert (Stewart Ford), 2nd: Jarno Trulli (Prost Peugeot), 3rd: Rubens Barrichello (Stewart Ford)
JOHNNY Herbert gambled correctly in an ever-changing race which left the world championship wide open and gave the Stewart team their maiden victory, before Jaguar took over in the year 2000. The race started dramatically, when Alexander Wurz, attempting to avoid Damon Hill’s slowing Jordan, clipped Pedro Diniz’s Sauber. The Brazilian was launched into a terrifying barrel roll, which saw the rollover hoop collapse, but Pedro escaped unharmed. Heinz-Harald Frentzen saw his title hopes die as his Jordan coasted to a sudden halt out of the pits, whilst leading. David Coulthard also lost his championship chances by chucking his McLaren off the road in wet conditions. Giancarlo Fisichella was another leader who spun off and a puncture ruined Ralf Schumacher’s hopes of a maiden victory after he had driven faultlessly. Herbert had only started 14th, but was on the right tyres at the right time to win. Prost earnt their best ever result, courtesy of Jarno Trulli, as title rivals Mika Hakkinen and Eddie Irvine floundered in fifth and seventh places. Irvine wasn’t helped by a cataclysmic pitstops when the mechanics only put three wheels on his car!
2005 (Nurburgring)
WINNER: Fernando Alonso (Renault), 2nd: Nick Heidfeld (Williams BMW), 3rd: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari)
A LAST lap grandstand finish was set-up by a seriously vibrating tyre on Kimi Raikkonen’s leading McLaren. Raikkonen led from the start, but made a mistake at half-distance and took a trip across the gravel, which gave Nick Heidfeld a brief lead. Later in the race, Kimi flat-spotted his tyre badly lapping Jacques Villeneuve’s Sauber, which allowed Fernando Alonso close right up on the McLaren. As tyre changes were not permitted in 2005, the Finn had to battle on, but as he begun lap 60 (the final lap), the front suspension collapsed under extreme stress and pitched Raikkonen off the circuit at turn one. Alonso was left to collect the unlikely spoils and strengthen his grip on the world championship. Three-stopping Heidfeld and Rubens Barrichello were promoted onto the podium, whilst a pitlane speeding penalty cost David Coulthard a rostrum; he finished fourth for Red Bull. A first-lap accident took out Mark Webber in the second Williams and spun Juan Pablo Montoya down to a distant seventh place finish. So, it was a black day for McLaren and a pivotal day in the world championship battle of 2005.
2007 (Nurburgring)
WINNER: Fernando Alonso (McLaren Mercedes), 2nd: Felipe Massa (Ferrari), 3rd: Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing Renault)
FERNANDO Alonso overcame severe thunderstorms and a strong Ferrari challenge to claim a much-needed victory in 2007. The race build-up was dominated by a serious accident for Lewis Hamilton in qualifying, caused by a faulty wheel gun. Although he spent the night in hospital, Hamilton was allowed to start from tenth on the grid, but he ended up having a bad day. First, he collected a puncture when the BMW Sauber drivers of Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica stupidly collided on the second corner of the race. Next, he went off at the first corner in conditions more akin to a swimming pool flood! The monsoon downpour claimed Jenson Button, Adrian Sutil, Nico Rosberg, Scott Speed and Vitantonio Liuzzi and Hamilton lost a lap sitting in the gravel. The race was suspended until conditions improved, which left Marcus Winkelhock, a one-off replacement for the sacked Christjian Albers in the Spyker team, in the lead. Winkelhock was soon gobbled up by the quicker cars however. Kimi Raikkonen retired with a hydraulic failure and a bad tyre choice left Hamilton stranded in ninth. Alonso hunted down Felipe Massa and passed the Brazilian with three laps to go to claim a sensational and dramatic victory. Mark Webber finished third for Red Bull.
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