F1 classic races - Brazil

FOR the final time this season and on this blog, I will be looking back at specific events from previous years of the country about to host a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship.  This time, it will be a bit different, as I charter the history of the Brazilian Grand Prix since it returned to Interlagos in 1990.

        The Brazilian Grand Prix had been staged on the Rio de Janeiro circuit in the 1980s, but returned to a shorter Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo from 1990 onwards.  To locals, it is better known as the Autodromo Carlos Pace, a Brazilian driver who won his home event in 1975.  Sao Paulo has certainly put on some special events since its return to the Grand Prix calendar.

        Alain Prost won the first event in 1990 after local hero Ayrton Senna ran into the back of backmarker Satoru Nakajima whilst leading.  Senna had never won his home race, but he ended the barren run in 1991.  He started on pole position and spent the majority of the race, fighting off a stiff challenge from the Williams of Nigel Mansell.  A wild spin for Mansell led to a gearbox failure, which was the Achilles heel of that chassis.  With three laps to go, the unpredictable Brazilian weather played its usual wildcard, with Senna waving furiously for the race to be stopped.  Aided to that, he was struggling with a misbehaving gearbox of his own.  Somehow, he finished the race with just one working gear and the McLaren beat Riccardo Patrese by just two seconds.  Cue euphoria and ecstasy in the crowd.  Senna had worked so hard for the victory; he was in intense physical pain and had to be lifted out of his car by paramedics.  He was suffering from cramp in his arms and shoulders.  Undeterred, he stood on the podium to take the top prize and achieve his remaining ambition of winning his home race.  He repeated the feat in 1993, edging out Damon Hill in another wet/dry race.

      For 1994, Ayrton switched to the all-conquering Williams team.  With Mansell away in IndyCars and Prost retired from racing, surely he was going to steamroller a mediocre field and take his fourth championship.  However, the partnership didn’t work out and as we all know, it ended tragically at Imola.  However, it was already in trouble from the outset in Brazil, with the 34-year old clearly unhappy about the nervous handling of the FW16 chassis.  He did drag the machinery to pole position, but that was more down to his brilliance behind the wheel, rather than the car’s competitiveness.  In the race, he spun off and stalled his engine whilst running second on lap 56.  As Michael Schumacher coasted to victory by a full lap, the Brazilian fans heading out of the gates in their droves, unaware that this was the last Brazilian Grand Prix Ayrton Senna had competed in.

        For years afterwards, Brazil had to largely do with pay drivers in the sport, such as Pedro Diniz, Tarso Marques and Ricardo Rosset.  Their only shining light was the talents of Rubens Barrichello and when he moved to Ferrari for the start of the 2000 season, there were high hopes that he might end their long drought for a home winner.  Sadly, Rubens Interlagos jinx continued to strike at Maranello.  Hydraulics failure twice, an accident with Ralf Schumacher in 2001 and a fuel feed problem in 2003 put him on the sidelines, part of an event that will go down as a special race.

       New tyre regulations meant both Michelin and Bridgestone had not brought a full wet tyre to Sao Paulo in 2003 and with the track soaked, the race started behind the Safety Car.  An aquaplaning river at turn three turned that corner into the car version of Beachers Brook at the Grand National.  Juan Pablo Montoya, Jenson Button and Michael Schumacher were among the six victims who crashed out on this corner.  Barrichello looked set for victory, when he passed David Coulthard’s tyre hungry McLaren, but the fuel pressure issue robbed him of a certain triumph.  The incident-packed race was stopped early after almighty accidents for the Jaguar of Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso’s Renault.  Both escaped unharmed, although Alonso needed precautionary checks in an ambulance, so missed the podium ceremony.  The race was initially awarded to the McLaren of Kimi Raikkonen, but a countback error meant Giancarlo Fisichella was rightfully awarded his maiden success five days later in an FIA enquiry into the incidents in Paris.

      Traditionally, Brazil had been one of the early season races, but it moved to a season ending regular from 2004 onwards.  Juan Pablo Montoya secured the final victory for Williams to the present day that year, before Interlagos became the setting for some gripping championship deciders.  Fernando Alonso was crowned champion in 2005, becoming the youngest driver to achieve this in the process.  A year later, he did it again, although this was overshadowed by Michael Schumacher’s final race of his first career, which involved a storming drive back through the field to fourth, after an early puncture.  In 2007, Kimi Raikkonen pinched the championship from under the noses of McLaren’s Alonso and Lewis Hamilton with a season ending victory and in 2009, Jenson Button put in the drive of his life from 14^th on the grid to clinch the title with a stirring performance to fifth for newcomers Brawn GP. 

      However, if you want drama, try the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, which will go down as one of the most dramatic finishes of all time.  Going into the event, Lewis Hamilton had a seven point lead over local hero, Felipe Massa.  Massa did nothing wrong all weekend, starting on pole position and never looked troubled to take his sixth win of the season in changeable conditions.  Fifth place would have been good enough for Hamilton to take the title in only his second season in the sport, but when he was overtaken by Sebastian Vettel’s Toro Rosso with three laps to go, Hamilton had been relegated to sixth.  For the second successive year, the championship seemed to be slipping away from Hamilton, but the wet weather intensified on the final lap and left Timo Glock’s Toyota stranded on dry tyres.  He was powerless to resist Vettel and Hamilton, who passed Glock into the final corner on the last lap of the season.  Ferrari celebrated, thinking they had won, as did McLaren.  It was the latter who had it right; Hamilton had secured the title in the most sensational fashion possible. 

      This season’s title battle may have been settled a long time ago, but let’s hope Brazil produces another special event this weekend to conclude the 2011 Formula One season.

Ronaldo calls it quits

AFTER a series of serious injuries, Brazilian football superstar Ronaldo has announced his retirement from football at the age of 34.  At a press conference in Brazil, the ex-Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven and AC Milan striker was in tears, as he admitted to giving up the games he loves due to lack of consistent fitness.

The announcement came after his current club; Corinthians were knocked out of the Copa Libertadores last weekend.  He leaves the game as the most successful goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history and a winner of the prestigious World Player of the Year on three separate occasions.  Although recent years have seen a dramatic fall from grace and younger readers may not know Ronaldo that well, his talents at his peak were awe-inspiring.  On his own, he could beat teams’ hands-down and the 2002 World Cup finals in the Far East was a prime example of this.  Since he made his professional debut in 1993, the Brazilian has gone on to score over 400 goals and has the distinction of having represented both Milan clubs and Spanish sides Barcelona and Real Madrid.  Sadly, he never made it to apply his trade in the Premiership, but Serie A and La Liga saw a striker when at his best, destroy opponents and leave them dazzled.

Ronaldo first made his name with Cruziero in 1993, and after scoring 12 goals in just 14 appearances, was a shock inclusion in the Brazilian squad for the 1994 World Cup finals in the USA.  Although he got a winners medal, he never played in the tournament.  However, the experience he gained from going and learning from other deadly finishers Bebeto and Romario would turn out to be valuable.  After the finals, Romario advised Ronaldo to make the move into European football and his first destination was Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.  Despite the first of many knee injuries, Ronaldo was top scorer in his first season in the Eredevisie in 1995 and attracted the attention of both Barcelona and Inter Milan.

WINNER: Ronaldo scores the penalty that wins the 1997 Cup Winners Cup

He moved to Barcelona in 1996, tutored under the guidance of Sir Bobby Robson.  Ronaldo scored the winning penalty that beat PSG to win the 1997 European Cup Winners Cup for his new side, top scored in La Liga and won the FIFA World Player of the year award for the first time.  A year later, after contract negotiations stalled with Barca, Inter Milan forked out £19million for Ronaldo and it would turn out to be money well spent.  He scored 59 goals in 99 games for Inter, including netting in the 1998 UEFA Cup final.  However, 1998 was to be a dark year for Ronaldo personally, as form and injuries began to take its toll.

After scoring four times in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo suffered a series of dangerous epileptic fits in the lead-up to Brazil’s final showdown with France.  After some farcical confusion over the Brazilian team sheet, he played, but looked like he’d just rolled out of the bed hungover.  France won 3-0 and Ronaldo’s mysterious lack of performance was blamed for Brazil’s shambolic final.  Less than a year later, he ruptured a knee tendon playing for Inter in Serie A against Lecce and three more surgeries were required in the next three years.  He only just regained fitness in time for his glory hour, the 2002 World Cup.

TARGET: Ronaldo turned the 2002 World Cup into his own

Ronaldo saw the 2002 World Cup as the chance to seek redemption for the shambles of 98.  It was his tournament.  He scored eight goals, finding the net in every game except the quarter-final against England and scored both goals in the 2-0 final win over Germany in Yokohama.  Had it not been for Ronaldo’s goal scoring abilities, Brazil won’t have won their fifth trophy.  He won the World Player of the Year in 2002 and secured a world record transfer from Inter Milan to Real Madrid for £39million.

At Madrid, Ronaldo was loved and won the La Liga title in his first season at the Bernabeau.  He scored twice on his debut and scored one of the finest ever hat-tricks in football to knock Manchester United out of the UEFA Champions League in 2003.  Injuries hampered his form at Madrid, but an impressive 83 goals in 127 games is an incredible strike rate.  He fell out of favour with Fabio Capello due to her excessive weight issues and was sold to AC Milan in January 2007.  Before then, Ronaldo appeared in one more World Cup finals and although his body was starting to adapt to the constant injuries he picked up, Ronaldo broke Gerd Muller’s 32-year record and became the top scorer in FIFA World Cup history, when he got the opener in Brazil’s 3-0 last 16 win against Ghana.  He ended up scoring 15 goals at the World Cup, 62 for Brazil in total before retiring from international football after Brazil’s quarter-final exit, at the hands of arch-enemy France.

END GAME: His final club move was to play for Corinthians

Once again, injuries would ruin his experience at the San Siro.  Ronaldo only featured 20 times for AC Milan and eventually was released at the end of the 2007/08 campaign.  He returned to Brazil, to see out his career with Corinthians.  The team’s cup exit has bought this retirement decision forward.  In an interview with a Brazilian newspaper last October, Ronaldo had already decided to retire at the end of the Brazilian season, once his contract expired.

Although he never managed to win the UEFA Champions League, Ronaldo won pretty much everything else in his career and despite become a pale shadow of his previous in recent seasons, he was the greatest player in the world at the turn of the millennium.  His legacy on the game and for Brazilian football can never be forgotten.

Devastating floods worldwide leave many homeless

ANGER and massive clear-up operations are underway worldwide after some of the worst flooding to be seen for years, which has badly affected three countries.  Sri Lanka, Brazil and Australia are only now beginning to count the cost of such destruction, which has left some dead, and many others stranded, with their houses washed away.

DESTRUCTION: An aerial shot of the floods in Queensland, Australia

In Australia, Brisbane and Queensland have been the two most badly-hit areas in the country, with the floods leaving a trail of destruction that seems more akin to a hurricane.  Many communities are still cut off in the aftermath of the floods, which began just after Christmas Down Under.  Only from helicopter pictures can the horror of the mess caused can really be told.  The police in Australia have admitted that some people may never be found, but they are doing what they can to eliminate those chances.  For many in the affected regions, they have their own stories to tell, sadly – most of them end up being a sickening tale and an act of pure luck that they are still alive.  Some eyewitnesses have compared the floods to ‘tornadoes with miles of debris scattered like confetti at a wedding.’  The force of the water levels has swept away many bodies miles away from where they lived, meaning it will take a long while for the final official confirmation of the dead.  Currently, the total in Oz stands at 20, with 53 people still unaccounted for.  12,000 military are now in force with the rescue operation, more than double on the initial callout when the floods began.  Australia has taken a battering from the floods, but similar to the fallen Ashes cricket side, will bounce back and with the tough community spirit that they always show, can rebuild their shattered lives.

STRUGGLE: Many people have been left homeless in Sri Lanka

The same can’t be said in poorer countries like Sri Lanka.  An estimated 325,000 people have been forced to leave their homes because of flooding.  Towns and villages are submerged with gallons of water in the South and North of the country.  The Sri Lankan government has deployed 30,000 troops to help with the relief effort and has called for a quick response.  As the torrential downpours continue, the death toll is expected to rise.  11 more people died today, taking the current figure to 38 that have lost their lives in this flooding catastrophe.  The UN has urged for international aid to arrive, particularly bottled water and mattresses for those who are staying in emergency shelters. 

DEVASTATION: The landslides in Brazil have left a nation in shock

Brazil hasn’t got off lightly either, and has probably been devastated the most by this week’s floods.  Rescue teams in the South American country are working flat out, but tragically, it is to find bodies, rather than survivors.  The towns of Teresoplois and Petropolis have been the worst affected by Friday’s landslides.  Some survivors have been faced with the grim task of helping the rescue teams find the bodies of their own families and friends.  Communities have been overwhelmed, with 13,500 people made homeless, one of the worst natural disasters to have ever hit Brazil.  Like Sri Lanka, many cut-off communities are in desperate need for food, clean water and medicine supplies.  At least 500 people have died here, and with more rain forecasted, the death toll is set to rise.  Billions of dollars of damage has been caused and gives the newly-elected Brazilian president Dilma Rousseuf a major headache, only two weeks into her new role.  She will have to deal with the lack of supplies and frustration from families at the lack of flood defences available to the country, as Brazil deals with one of the worst landslides to hit the world in the last half a century.

Almost a year on from the earth-shattering earthquake to have struck Haiti, it seems like Mother Nature continues on its trail of destruction and it is many communities in Asia, Australia and South America that have felt the significant force of destruction, ripping apart many communities and killing many.  Thoughts go out to all those affected, some who now have the long and painstaking process of trying to rebuild their lives if possible. 

2010 Brazilian Grand Prix - The conclusions

IN THIS piece, I will be assessing ten key features from each Grand Prix weekend from the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.  The Brazilian Grand Prix was hardly a classic; in fact it was one of the most boring races of the season.  However, it bought joy for Red Bull Racing and sets up a grand finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend.  So, this is the round-up of the penultimate race in 2010.

Sebastian Vettel – Championship momentum

THUMBS UP: Vettel is delighted with his 4th win of 2010

SINCE his costly errors at Spa, Sebastian Vettel has driven out of his skin and proven to all of his doubters that he will be a world champion in future, although still being the 2010 winner looks a long shot.  Vettel was in a class of one in Sao Paulo at the weekend and once he out dragged the surprised pole sitter Nico Hulkenberg off the startline, there was only ever going to be one winner.  Vettel’s best form comes when he leads from the front.  In this situation, he is almost untouchable.  The momentum is with him in the championship, but he will still need a degree of good fortune to see the decisive swing head his way in Abu Dhabi.  Whether he will play second fiddle, should it be required to team-mate Mark Webber remains to be seen.

Red Bull Racing – Deserved constructors champions

REALISATION: Christian Horner throws his hands in the air

WHEN Vettel and Mark Webber crossed the line on Sunday to seal the team’s fourth 1-2 finish of the season, you could sense the relief on the pitwall.  It is an incredible story, and in just six years.  Red Bull was born in 2005, out of the ashes of the failed Jaguar squad.  David Coulthard built the team up, but there were some very tough and testing times for the team, at times they were seen as the laughing stock in the pitlane.  However, in Adrian Newey, they have the best designer in the business.  Newey has always built world class motorcars, if a little fragile and his 2010 car is a masterpiece.  The drivers and the management have done the best they could to throw all the potential away, but it all came together in the end.  Although he has his critics, including myself – Christian Horner has done a great job to keep the warring Webber and Vettel together, without everything being blown out of proportion.  Lastly big congratulations to everyone in the team.  Long hours have been worked at the factory in Milton Keynes and some members have been with the team from the start, when it was Stewart GP in 1997, so the constructors’ championship is a fully deserved success for Red Bull Racing.

Fernando Alonso – Still in the driving seat

ALTHOUGH Red Bull had the race in their back pocket, Fernando Alonso is still the man in the pound seats heading to Abu Dhabi.  Eight points clear of Mark Webber and 15 ahead of Sebastian Vettel, the consistent Spaniard only needs to finish in the top two in the desert, to become world champion.  Since Silverstone, Alonso has been thinking championship points and it seems like his meticulous mathematical calculations look set to pay off.  Another solid drive at the weekend led to another rostrum, his seventh in eight races.  Fernando Alonso is still the safe bet for this championship.

Nico Hulkenberg – How did he do that?

DEFENCE: Hulkenberg did well to resist Hamilton early on

WHEN you start on pole position and wind up finishing in eighth place, some will think – what went wrong?  Not in the case of Nico Hulkenberg, who did a fantastic job all weekend, considering the limited capabilities he has against the front-running teams.  His Saturday performance, in mixed conditions to shake the F1 order up and clinch his maiden pole position was awe-inspiring.  It reminded me of his dominant days in A1GP in similar track conditions.  His stout defence of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton may have ruined the race as a front-running battle, but it was brilliant to watch Hulkenberg go up against some of the best, and not be scared by former world champions.  It maybe for commercial reasons, but Williams would be fools to let this exceptional talent slip through their fingers.

Jenson Button – A very difficult weekend

SERVICE: Button gained positions in the pits

JENSON Button gracefully gave up his drivers crown at the same venue where he won it in such fine fashion in 2009.  His drive from eleventh on the grid to fifth in the race was fantastic, and for once, he looked quicker than Lewis Hamilton on raceday.  Button can lookback at a positive first season with McLaren and had it not been for some tricky qualifying sessions and for Vettel driving into the side of him at Spa, it could well have been a different story.  In truth, it was a difficult weekend for Jenson, after his near brush with death on Saturday night (see security problems for more information).  Jenson is the people and true gentleman champion, whatever you may think of his driving abilities.

Barrichello and Massa – Out of luck

LIMPING: Barrichello struggles on after his puncture

BRAZIL’s main men in the field were out of luck and the pressure is building on both of their future F1 careers.  Due to sponsorship being urgently required, Rubens Barrichello is fighting to hang onto his seat at Williams, despite delivering some of his best driving ever in the 18 year F1 career.  His dreadful and annual jinx at Interlagos struck again, when he tagged Jaime Alguesuari very lightly in the race, yet still picked up a puncture.  It just had to happen to Rubens, didn’t it?  I do hope he will still be in Formula One next year, but it is starting to look very doubtful.  On a short-term basis, Felipe Massa is safe, but his long-term future with Ferrari must be called into question.  Massa is an expert in Brazil, having won this event twice before.  Yet he seemed to have as many contacts as Piers Morgan would with celebrities.  Sebastian Buemi, Barrichello and Vitaly Petrov can all testify to that.  Massa was very lacklustre again, even though a loose wheel at his first pitstop did leave him on the backfoot.  He has been little help to Ferrari, except the controversial Hockenheim switch, which would make Alonso winning the championship even more special, because he hasn’t needed a great deal of assistance, especially in the last third of the season.

Senna and di Grassi – Both running out of time?

WHILST Barrichello and Massa suffered misfortune, the two Brazilian rookies continue to disappoint and are starting to run out of time to prove themselves, although they are in backmarker teams.  Lucas di Grassi has had a testing rookie season, but he is nowhere near Timo Glock in the Virgin team and recorded another DNF on Sunday.  In fact, di Grassi seemed undecided whether to park the car, or to trundle along at the back of the field.  It was maybe the highlight of the entire event!  Bruno Senna may never have raced in Sao Paulo before, but he still trailed Christian Klien by nearly an entire second in qualifying, which is ridiculous, considering Senna has driven that car all season and this was only Klien’s second event of the season.  When Japanese pay-driver Sakon Yamamoto starts matching you, then you realise how bad Senna has been this season.  I predict that Sunday’s Abu Dhabi finale will be their last event in Formula One.  Sadly, neither has been able to cut the mustard at this level.

Force India – Team mates at war!

AGAIN: Another Force India wreck from Tonio Liuzzi

NICO Hulkenberg’s eighth place finish was very bad news for Force India, as it meant they slipped behind Williams in their private battle for sixth in the constructor’s championship.  It doesn’t help either when you’re team-mates start bickering amongst each other.  Vitantonio Liuzzi spun in Q1 and inadvertently blocked Adrian Sutil, who was on a flying lap.  Sutil dropped out in Q1 and wasn’t shy in holding back.  He blasted Liuzzi for his inconsistent driving standards and dropped a dig at the team’s lack of development in the second half of the season.  Sutil has a tough decision to make about his future but there aren’t many options for him around.  I still think that a Renault drive alongside Robert Kubica would be his best bet if he wants to move up the grid.  Liuzzi qualified 17^th, bottom in Q2 – then crashed another Force India in the race.  He also hit out at Sutil for his driving standards, which seemed a bit harsh, considering Adrian’s improvement apart from the car crash that was Korea last time out.  Like di Grassi and Senna, I think Liuzzi will be bidding farewell to the sport after Sunday’s showpiece.

Brazil’s security problems

ARRIVAL: Button had a traumatic Saturday experience

The attack on Jenson Button’s car after he left the paddock on Saturday evening will raise serious doubts over the future of the Brazilian Grand Prix.  Not only does the Interlagos circuit need a massive update in his facilities, which look so 1996 in this 21^st century world, it needs to tighten up its security levels.  Button, his father and manager Richard Goddard were lucky that the driver of their car floored the throttle when he saw the gang that had guns on them.  Three Sauber mechanics weren’t so lucky, and were forced to hand over all of their equipment in their rucksacks.  It is important for F1 to visit South America every year, but not if this is going to be a repetitive incident.  With the Olympics and Football World Cup heading into Brazil in the next six years, they must improve security and reduce gang warfare that dominates the country.

2011 calendar – Good or bad?

SCRAPPING: Will the cars be in Brazil for a long-term future

LAST Wednesday, the FIA ratified the 20-race calendar for the 2011 season.  As expected, the new event in India will take place on the final weekend of October.  The season won’t finish until November 27, in Brazil – which is far too late to finish any championship.  More back-to-back events are required to prevent this scenario happening again.  Most of the rest of this year’s calendar remains in place, with Bahrain hanging onto the season opener and Silverstone keeping its traditional mid-July slot.  However, with more countries wanting races, changes will need to be made for 2011 and the circuit promoters at Valencia, Istanbul, Shanghai and Interlagos must be aware that they could very soon be ready for the chop, if Bernie gets his way.

2010 Brazilian Grand Prix - The Bull charges to maiden Constructors title

RED Bull Racing secured their maiden constructors title in Brazil today with a 1-2 finish, with Sebastian Vettel winning in Sao Paulo.

The German led home Mark Webber to the team’s fourth maximum of the season, giving them a sufficient enough advantage over its nearest rivals McLaren and Ferrari to wrap up its maiden title.  Both Red Bull drivers could still win the ultimate prize, though Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who finished 3^rd in Interlagos, carries an eight point advantage into the final event in Abu Dhabi next weekend.  Lewis Hamilton still holds a mathematical chance, though he needs a miracle now to feature heavily in the final reckoning, but Jenson Button’s hopes completely disappeared, on an afternoon where the weaknesses of the McLaren were heavily shown up.

From the moment Vettel edged up the inside of the surprise pole sitter Nico Hulkenberg into the first corner, the rest of the field had no chance.  Webber quickly followed his team-mate past the Williams on the opening circuit, and by the time Alonso had forced his way past Hamilton and Hulkenberg, he was already the best part of 12 seconds behind, and with little hope of wrapping up the championship today.  Red Bull’s significant advantage was narrowed when Vitantonio Liuzzi crashed his Force India heavily at turn two on Lap 51, but the amount of traffic that Alonso had infront of him when the Safety Car came out quickly dashed those hopes.  Vettel’s pace was so strong in the closing stages, that it was clear that he had more in the tank.  His fourth win of the season keeps him in the hunt, even if he is 15 points behind Alonso in the points.  Webber would have liked team orders to help him out, but on the day, the Australian was simply not fast enough to match his red-hot young charger.  How the team will manage the situation next weekend will be interesting to see. . .

Hamilton finished a distant fourth, as even a tactical second pitstop failed to get him anywhere near the podium positions.  Despite setting the fastest lap of the race, Lewis complained all day on the team radio of a lack of grip from his tyres.  His frustration after the race in the post-race interviews seemed to highlight how disappointed he has been with McLaren’s slow development in the second half of the season.  Team-mate Button, who won the crown here in Brazil twelve months earlier made an early stop that  cleared the midfield gaggle and meant he finished right on the tail of his team-mate, after starting a disappointing 11^th on the grid.  Jenson could count himself lucky to even be racing, after being nearly caught in an armed attack after his bulletproof car was ambushed after qualifying on Saturday night. 

Hulkenberg fell back after his stunning Saturday show, and finished a lapped 8^th.  However, his stock has risen in the F1 paddock this weekend, and put increased pressure on Rubens Barrichello’s future with the Williams team.  The Brazilian’s rotten luck at Interlagos continued, with a poor pitstop and contact with Jaime Alguesuari led to a mid-distance puncture.  He could only finish in 14^th at the finish.  Fellow countryman Felipe Massa also had another difficult race, with three pitstops and various run-ins during the race, leaving him trailing in 15^th at the chequered flag.  The two Mercedes cars of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished 6^th and 7^th, whilst the final points went to Robert Kubica and Kamur Kobayashi.  There was a staggering reliability rate at the Brazilian Grand Prix, with 22 cars making the finish.  Only Liuzzi and the Virgin Racing of Lucas di Grassi failed to see out the full distance.

Four men can still win the title, and only seven days to wait.  The grand finale under the twilight skies in Abu Dhabi is something that everyone will be looking forward to.  Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, who are you backing?

Ayrton Senna - A Genius Remembered

This year, the legendary Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna would have celebrated his 50^th birthday.  Sadly, he isn’t around to cherish this amazing anniversary – sixteen years after he tragically perished at the wheel of the Williams FW16 in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.  However, this opportunity gives me the chance to produce my memories of Ayrton Senna: The Man, and Ayrton Senna: The Genius behind the Wheel of a Racing Car.  Forget Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher: In my opinion, Senna was the greatest ever human being to drive in Formula One.

Senna was very successful in the junior formulae in Brazil and in England.  He had begun karting at the tender age of four.  For him, racing was in his blood and so to, was his will and desire to win.  To him, second place wasn’t acceptable; he felt it was first of the losers.  He underlined that ruthless streak early on in his career, in the tense and exciting duel with Britain’s Martin Brundle for the 1983 British Formula 3 Championship.  Senna dominated the first half of the season, Brundle the second half and it left Ayrton to pull off some crazy overtaking attempts that often ended in accidents.  Eventually, he overcame Brundle in the season finale at Thurxton, and Formula One beckoned.

Despite testing for McLaren and Williams in the winter of 1983, Senna opted to sign on for the Toleman team, an unfamiliar name to many in the sport.  Immediately, Senna made an impression, despite his inferior equipment.  He came so close to winning his maiden race that season too.  In Monaco, Senna made full advantage of the awful weather conditions, to charge through from 12^th on the grid.  He pulled off some stupendous overtaking moves, with the confidence that suggested he would be a champion in future waiting.  Only the insistence of race leader Alain Prost got the race red-flagged, though the half points would eventually cost him the 1984 championship.  Senna insisted that he would have won if the race had run just one more lap.  The determination to succeed was firmly there.  Podiums at Brands Hatch and Estoril followed, but Senna knew that Toleman was not a long-term stay.  He went to Lotus for the next three seasons, convinced that this might be the team that could deliver him the world championship.

In only his second race for the famous British marquee, Senna won in Portugal – in very similar conditions to those of Monaco 1984.  Second placed Michele Alboreto was the only driver not to be lapped, in a clinical and masterful performance in the wet.  Not only did Senna edge himself into a great wet weather runner, he developed a close association with the Japanese manufacturer Honda in his time at Lotus, and also the amazing skill he had to pull off a flying lap when the chips were down.  Eight pole positions went his way in 1985, and this skill remained in Senna’s book all the way through to his untimely death.  Although Schumacher has beaten this statistic now, it took him twelve years to do it after Ayrton’s death.  Sixty-five pole positions in 161 races, over 33% is one of the most impressive ratios I’ve ever seen.  In his three years with Lotus, Senna achieved 3^rd place in the 1987 championship and six wins, including a maiden triumph on the streets of Monte Carlo.  However, the British team was on a steady rate of decline and Ayrton elected to jump ship, taking Honda with him to McLaren.

Frustrated by seeing the more superior Williams of Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell often get the better of him, despite his undoubted talent, Senna was convinced the switch to McLaren would finally give him the success it craved.  There, he was partnered with the Frenchman, Alain Prost, the golden boy of McLaren at the time.  Fireworks would explode between the pair, though not initially.  The 1988 McLaren Honda was the most dominant car in Grand Prix history, winning 15 of the season’s 16 races.  If Jean-Louis Schelesser hadn’t rammed Senna in the closing stages at Monza, it could well have been a clean sweep.  Senna won eight races, to Prost’s seven – though the ‘Professor’s’ consistency meant he went on to score more championship points.  However, on a countback system, which the sport used at the time, Senna knew that victory in the 1988 Japanese Grand Prix would be enough for his first championship.

The start was a disaster, Senna squandering pole position, and dropping to 14^th by Turn 1, giving Prost a colossal advantage.  Very quickly, Senna showed the superiority of his McLaren, and charged through the pack.  By Lap 16, he was fourth and eleven laps later, was challenging for the lead.  When Prost was trapped in backmarkers, Senna seized his opportunity and squeezed past his team-mate on the start-finish straight.  It was a clinical piece of overtaking, and a drive that thoroughly deserved to win the championship.  Prost was very gracious in defeat, admitting that Senna had been the better driver during the campaign.  Apart from a moment in Portugal, when Ayrton had nearly put Alain into the pit wall, their battle had been clean and a joy to watch in 1988.  Sadly, the next two years bought politics and accusations to the heartfelt of the game.

Race two of 1989 was the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.  Prost and Senna had entered a gentlemanly agreement, that the man who approached the breaking point for the Tosa hairpin first, would go onto win the race.  Senna took pole position and led on the first lap.  However, when his good friend Gerhard Berger crashed at Tamburello and his Ferrari burst into flames, the race required a restart.  Prost made the better start, and led approaching Tosa.  Senna, presuming that the agreement only meant on one attempt, stole the lead into the hairpin and drove into the distance.  Perhaps a gentle misunderstanding, but Prost, who finished over a minute adrift, refused to talk to Senna again.  

1989 was not a lucky year for the Brazilian, losing certain victories in USA, Canada and Italy due to mechanical problems, whilst he was taken out in Portugal by the already disqualified Mansell.  Once again, Suzuka would be the deciding factor in the championship battle, this time with Prost the overwhelming favourite.  Senna had to win, to stand any chance of taking the fight to Adelaide.  He lost the lead with a poor start, and harassed Prost all afternoon, with little chance of getting ahead.  On Lap 47, he closed up and made his move into the final chicane.  Prost, knowing that Senna had to win turned into the corner and the accident was inevitable.  The two McLaren’s interlocked wheels and slid to a halt.  Prost unbuckled his belts and walked away, but Senna kept his engine running and restarted.  However, he needed outside assistance from the marshals to get going again.  Despite needing to pit for a new nosecone, catching and overtaking the Benetton of Alessandro Nannini, Senna won and was promptly disqualified, for the outside assistance offence.  Prost was champion.  Ayrton was furious, almost refusing to race in Australia, threatening to walkaway from the sport he loved, believing that a conspiracy had been set-up against him, by Prost and the unpopular FISA president, Jean-Marie Balestre.  More allegations and accusations followed, and Senna’s super license was revoked.  Had he driven Formula One for the last time?

The following March, he was back, having apologised for his actions and won the season opener in Phoenix.  Once more, the fight for supremacy was between Senna’s McLaren Honda and Prost, who had swapped seats with Berger and moved to McLaren’s arch-enemies, Ferrari.  For the third successive year, Japan was the deciding point for the championship saga.  This time, it was Prost who needed to win to keep his title dream alive.  Senna took his customary pole position, but bitterly complained all weekend that pole position was on the dirtier side of the grid.  He campaigned for it to be changed, and Prost actually agreed.  The officials granted Senna’s request, but Balestre refused to back down.  Consequently, Senna vowed that if Prost turned into Turn One first, he would regret it.

Twenty-four hours later and Senna sprinted away, but Prost got the better start and took the immediate advantage.  Senna looked for a gap on the inside of the first corner that was simply always going to disappear.  The result was catastrophic.  The McLaren and Ferrari disappeared into a cloud dust, the pair clambered out of their battered motorcars, neither talking to the other but the outcome of the 1990 FIA Formula One World Championship had been decided in a matter of seconds.  Replays clearly put the blame fair and square at the Brazilian’s door, though he defended his actions long after the event.  It was a second title for Senna, but bittersweet and distasteful in the circumstances.  Only at the same event a year later, with Balestre gone and replaced by Max Mosley did Senna admit that he deliberately ran Prost off the road in 1990.  He will and desire to win couldn’t be faulted, but in attempting to knock another car out on purpose was a hideous crime, which on a normal UK road would land you with at least a driving ban, and possibly a jail sentence.

In 1991, Senna won his third and last drivers title, for the umpteenth time at Suzuka, the deciding point of most title battles.  Prost fell away and was fired by Ferrari before the season’s end, so it left for a renewed rivalry to remerge between Senna and ‘Il Leone,’ Nigel Mansell.  Senna won the first four races in 1991, but as the Williams Renault became the stronger package during the campaign, Senna grew frustrated, realising that McLaren were being out developed by a rival for the first time in his stint with the Woking team.  Eventually, reliability and a terrible pitstop in Portugal shot Mansell’s 1991 title dream, but not for the worth of trying.  He went wheel-to-wheel with Senna, sparks flying at some 200mph down the backstraight of Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, one of the sport’s most iconic images.

As the Williams team mastered the active suspension and traction control systems, McLaren drifted further behind the game and Senna had to work especially hard for any of his later victories in his career.  1992 was a major disappointment, as Ayrton finished 4^th in the final standings, with just three wins, compared to the nine of the dominant Mansell.  Honda pulled out of F1 at the end of the season, and Senna questioned whether he should remain in the sport, especially when Prost ‘vetoed’ him not to drive alongside him at Williams in 1993.  Senna was incensed with this, but pot, kettle, black spring to mind when he did the same thing in 1986, to deprive Derek Warwick of a Lotus drive.  One of his greatest victories came in Monaco 1992, when he managed to hold off a hard-charging Mansell, who clambered all over the back of his McLaren in the last five laps. 

However, he had saved the best for last on a damp, dull Easter weekend in 1993.  The venue was Donington Park for the European Grand Prix.  Senna, now in a McLaren Ford had qualified 4^th and made a bad start, squeezed out by the uncompromising Michael Schumacher on the rundown to Redgate.  Undeterred, he out-accelerated the young German on the exit, and then swept past the fast-starting Karl Wendlinger in his Sauber around the outside of the Craner Curves.  Next target were the dominant Williams and just three corners later, he went inside Damon Hill to move into second.  He tore into Prost’s early advantage and finally, outbraked his chief rival into the Melbourne Loop.  He had gone from 5^th to 1^st by the end of the first lap, definitely the greatest lap in Grand Prix history.  Senna won the race from Hill by nearly a full lap.

For 1994, Senna got his dream move to the almost unbeatable Williams Renault squad.  With Prost having retired, and Mansell conquering the IndyCars scene in America, this was Senna’s chance to add to his forty-one victories.  Sadly, the partnership that promised so much never came to fruition.  Senna didn’t like the handling of the FW16, and had a miserable first two races.  He spun off and stalled his engine in Brazil, chasing down Schumacher’s Benetton, then was tipped off by an over-ambitious Mika Hakkinen into the first corner of the Pacific Grand Prix.  Arriving at Imola, Senna had no points, Schumacher twenty.  Autosport magazine claimed he was a man under pressure.  He didn’t show it though, focused on his goal to bring Williams back to the top, after an unconvincing start.  He blitzed the entire field in San Marino, setting the quickest times in every single session.  However, accidents to his countryman Rubens Barrichello and the death of Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger in qualifying deeply affected Senna.  Deep down, he didn’t have the passion to race.  Some say he was not on the best of terms with his family, due to his burdening relationship with Adriane Galisteu.  Others suggest he believed that Schumacher and Benetton were cheating their way to success, by using the now banned electronic aids.  Either way, he put those issues aside, dropped his crash helmet and went out to race.  A startline accident put the race under caution behind the Safety Car.  On the restart, Senna charged away, determined to pull away from the pest that was Schumacher.  On Lap 7, he entered the flat-out Tamburello bend when his Williams refused to turn into the corner.  The rest they say is history….

Ayrton Senna may have not endeared himself to everyone.  However, his skill behind the wheel of a racing car cannot be questioned, nor could his charitable work he put in for many local Brazilian and worldwide charities.  His speed, desire and commitment to win were immense, even if some of his tactics had to be questioned.  A devote Christian, Senna believed that God would save him on the racetrack.  His death brought shock to the whole world – and the funeral that followed brought Brazil to a complete standstill.  Chillingly, he had predicted that the new regulations for the 1994 season would bring serious accidents, possibly even bring the horrible fatality that he feared could happen.  On May 1^st 1994, the world lost a famous icon, and although Williams found replacement drivers easy to come by, Formula 1 will never see the likes of him.

Ayrton Senna is a legend who leaves an endearing legacy to many, and is a sporting legend that will never be forgotten.

21st March 1960 - 1st May 1994