F1 classic races - Korea

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.  As Korea only made its bow onto the world championship stage last season, here is a varied selection of events that are no longer on the current F1 calendar, plus last year’s inaugural event in Korea.  The races are between 1991 and 2010, so enjoy the archive!

1991 – Portugal

WINNER: Riccardo Patrese (Williams Renault), 2^nd: Ayrton Senna (McLaren Honda), 3^rd: Jean Alesi (Ferrari)

WILLIAMS may have won the 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix, but it was the wrong driver as far as the championship battle was concerned.  Despite starting fourth, Nigel Mansell took the lead early on and looked set for a crucial victory.  Disaster then struck at his first pitstop, when chief mechanic Peter Windsor didn’t tighten up his right rear wheel.  The wheel rolled off down the pitlane, leaving a frustrated Mansell, beating his hands on the steering wheel in sheer despair.  The team then worked on the car in an illegal area and Nigel was black-flagged in Estoril for the second time in three years, having charged back to fifth.  Riccardo Patrese drove well to win, but second place took Ayrton Senna a massive step forward towards a third world championship.

1998 – Argentina

CONTROVERSY: Coulthard was furious with this contact in 1998

WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 2^nd: Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Eddie Irvine (Ferrari)

MCLAREN had dominated the first two races of 1998, but Ferrari and Michael Schumacher responded in superb fashion on F1’s last visit to Buenos Aires.  A new, wider tyre from Goodyear helped them close the gap.  The talking point of the race came on lap six, when Schumacher collided with David Coulthard, spinning the McLaren around and out of the lead.  Schumacher survived and despite a late trip into the gravel during a rain shower, beat Mika Hakkinen by over 20 seconds.  Eddie Irvine won out in a fierce scrap with youngster Alexander Wurz to secure a double podium finish for Ferrari.  Further run-ins with Jacques Villeneuve and Giancarlo Fisichella left Coulthard’s car looking like a battering ram by the finish.  However, he still earnt a point for his troubles.

1999 – France

WINNER: Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Jordan Mugen Honda), 2^nd: Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Rubens Barrichello (Stewart Ford)

THIS was a great Grand Prix, which Stewart, McLaren and Ferrari took turns in taking command, yet Jordan won the race.  An inspired decision on the pitwall saw the Irish team fuel Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s car to the brim during a heavy downpour on lap 22.  Frentzen didn’t have to pit again and claimed the lead when both Mika Hakkinen and Rubens Barrichello had to call in late on for a splash and dash.  Jordan’s second Grand Prix victory was memorable, but Damon Hill’s future in the sport came into serious question.  In a wet qualifying, he failed to make the 107% cut-off.  Given special dispensation to start, he tangled with Pedro de la Rosa and collected a puncture, before giving up at half-distance.  Afterwards, he cast doubts over whether he would get back into an F1 cockpit.  David Coulthard’s rotten season continued, when an alternator problem forced him out of a commanding lead on the ninth lap, whilst Michael Schumacher was restricted to fifth by gear selection issues.  Jean Alesi was on for a great result, but spun off in the downpour, as did Jacques Villeneuve and Alexander Wurz.  It was a crazy event, full of overtaking, but a magnificent day for Jordan’s new star in Magny-Cours.

2003 – Austria

WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 2^nd: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari)

AUSTRIA 2003 was one of Michael Schumacher’s greatest victories.  He had a big advantage infront, when he pitted for a routine pitstop on lap 20.  Seconds later, droplets of fuel from a faulty refuelling rig made contact with the engine cover and his Ferrari was on fire.  The mechanics quickly put out the barbeque, whilst Schumacher sat there, looking as cool as a cucumber.  Nine laps later, he hunted down Kimi Raikkonen’s ailing McLaren successfully and seconds later, was back infront when a water leak terminated Juan Pablo Montoya’s chance of victory for BMW Williams.  Raikkonen showed his championship might by protecting a sick engine and resolutely holding off Rubens Barrichello to prevent a Ferrari 1-2.  Jenson Button did well to finish fourth, his best result of the season whilst an engine failure ended a great comeback drive from Fernando Alonso, having risen from 19^th on the grid to fifth.  However, this was the day when great escapes really do come true and a stunning way for Austria to end its Formula One relationship.

2004 – USA

WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 2^nd: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari), 3^rd: Takuma Sato (BAR Honda)

MICHAEL Schumacher had to deal with mixed emotions at Indianapolis in 2004.  He managed to beat his team-mate Rubens Barrichello to record his eighth win from nine attempts in a runaway Ferrari season.  However, he had to drive past the scene of a nasty accident for his brother, Ralf.  11 laps into the event and a puncture on his Williams sent Schumacher Jnr careering backwards into the turn 13 concrete wall.  He suffered a cracked vertebra and would miss the majority of the season.  He wasn’t the only Michelin driver to collect a puncture, as debris on the track from a startline crash ended Fernando Alonso’s challenge two laps earlier.  Juan Pablo Montoya was black-flagged, after his engine died on the dummy grid.  He failed to switch to the spare car 15 seconds before the start of the formation lap, sealing his fate.  The biggest cheers in the paddock were for Takuma Sato, who recorded his one and only podium finish in F1 for BAR and for Zsvolt Baumgartner, who survived the mayhem to be the eighth and final finisher, hence scoring Minardi’s first championship point in over two years.

2010 – Korea

BLOW: Vettel extinguishes the charred remains of his engine in 2010

WINNER: Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), 2^nd: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Felipe Massa (Ferrari)

F1’s maiden visit to Korea began with an 80-minute delay, due to heavy rain.  Four laps behind the Safety Car was criticised by the drivers, so the event was temporarily suspended.  Once they got going, Red Bull imploded.  Two laps after the Safety Car pitted, championship leader Mark Webber got onto the Astroturf and spun into the wall.  His car came back across the track, taking out the unfortunate Nico Rosberg in the process.  Having been the fastest driver all weekend, Sebastian Vettel looked set to win and take the championship lead.  However, he suffered a cruel engine failure with just ten laps to go, handing Fernando Alonso the victory and the drivers lead in the process.  Second place for Lewis Hamilton kept him in the championship challenge, but team-mate Jenson Button had a nightmare afternoon.  He struggled with grip all day, was one of the slowest cars on the track and finished a distant 12^th; all but ending his hopes of retaining the world championship he had won in 2009.  Fourth place for Michael Schumacher equalled his best result of a tricky first season back in the sport after a three year lay-off.