F1 classic races - Japan

1994

WINNER: Damon Hill (Williams Renault), 2^nd: Michael Schumacher (Benetton Ford), 3^rd: Jean Alesi (Ferrari)

SUZUKA 1994 began in truly awful conditions.  Michael Schumacher started on pole position, but nearly half the field fell off the road early on as aquaplaning took hold.  When Gianni Morbidelli and Martin Brundle went off heavily at the Degner complex; Brundle’s accident badly injuring a marshal, the race was eventually stopped.  Despite concern over a restart, the rain relented and the fans that stayed witnessed a battle of aggregate timing to decide the race between Schumacher and Damon Hill.  Hill’s one stop strategy gave him the time advantage, but on worn tyres, he was struggling against the fresher Benetton in fast diminishing light.  However, Damon held onto win by 3.3seconds and took the title showdown to that controversial finale in Adelaide.  Nigel Mansell had a similar exciting battle with Jean Alesi and passed the Frenchman into the chicane on the final lap.  However, on the timing rule, Alesi was the final driver on the podium.

1996

WINNER: Damon Hill (Williams Renault), 2^nd: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 3^rd: Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes)

WITH a nine point lead over rookie team-mate Jacques Villeneuve, Damon Hill could only throw away the 1996 championship.  He qualified second, behind Villeneuve and people thought it would be a cautious drive.  However, he stormed into the lead from the start and despite an early vicious attack from Gerhard Berger, which left the Austrian needing to pit for damage, Damon was largely untroubled.  Villeneuve had a horrible start and dropped to sixth, struggling to keep up with Mika Hakkinen and Eddie Irvine.  On lap 36, a rear wheel pitched off the Canadian’s car and sent him into the gravel trap.  Hill coasted home, ahead of outgoing champion Michael Schumacher and Hakkinen, leaving Murray Walker literally with a lump in his throat and the perfect way to end Grand Prix on the BBC chapter one!

1997

WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 2^nd: Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Williams Renault), 3^rd: Eddie Irvine (Ferrari)

HE WAS under pressure to deliver after some suspect performances in Austria and at the Nurburgring, but Michael Schumacher once again produced a stirring drive at Suzuka to win and take the title lead with one race to go.  His rival for the championship, Jacques Villeneuve, had to race under appeal after he had been initially excluded from the meeting following his fourth yellow flag infringement of the season during Saturday morning practice.  On Sunday, Villeneuve’s only intention was to destroy Schumacher’s race, but his plan backfired.  Ferrari’s plan was to get Eddie Irvine into the lead and pull enough of a lead out, so Villeneuve could not slow everyone down.  Better pit work from Ferrari got Schumacher ahead of the desperate Canadian, before Irvine slowed down and let his team leader through.  Damon Hill’s Arrows badly held Schumacher up in the closing stages, which gave Heinz-Harald Frentzen the chance to attack.  However, Schumi held on and with Williams dropping their appeal after the event, Villeneuve lost his two points for Suzuka and went to Jerez a point behind.  At least Frentzen’s ability to overhaul Irvine for second place in the race did secure the constructor’s championship for Williams.

2000

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

THIS was a true battle between the modern greats of the sport; Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen.  Schumacher took pole position after a fierce scrap in qualifying, but like in 1999, Hakkinen made the better start.  They traded fastest laps throughout, as they left the rest standing.  David Coulthard, who came third, finished over a minute behind.  A sprinkling rain shower saw McLaren pit Hakkinen a bit earlier for his second stop.  He got held up badly behind Pedro de la Rosa’s Arrows and this allowed Schumacher to set the quick times required to get out ahead of his only title rival.  Mika kept pushing to the end, but Michael held his nerve to win the 2000 event and the world championship for the third time; Ferrari’s first driver’s title since 1979.  At last, the Schumacher/Ferrari combination had delivered and it started a new era of utter domination in F1.

2005

WINNER: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes), 2^nd: Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault), 3^rd: Fernando Alonso (Renault)

PASS: Raikkonen is about to complete his epic drive in 2005

KIMI Raikkonen produced the finest win of his Grand Prix career, in a titanic 2005 race, one of the best ever in the history of the championship.  After wet qualifying, the likes of Raikkonen, new world champion Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya started near the back of the grid.  Montoya was eliminated on the first lap, crashing heavily out of the final corner while attempting an ambitious move around the outside of Jacques Villeneuve.  Alonso showed his determination, as he drove flat out around the outside of Schumacher’s Ferrari at 130R on lap 16 in a stunning move.  Gradually, Raikkonen hauled himself upto second place, but Giancarlo Fisichella still had a healthy 20 second cushion infront.  Alonso used more bravery to pass Mark Webber’s Williams on the grass with five laps remaining to snatch third, but Fisichella switched off and was powerless against the relentless Raikkonen.  Kimi charged upto his gearbox and then drove past him into the first corner around the outside of the Renault as they started the last lap.  This was a day when man and class in driver tolled over the usual combination of driver/machinery and kept the constructors championship battle alive to the finale in China.

2007 (Fuji Speedway)

WINNER: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes), 2^nd: Heikki Kovalainen (Renault), 3^rd: Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

UNDER pressure from Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton delivered a masterful performance to win in terrible weather conditions at Fuji Speedway.  With Suzuka’s facilities needing an urgent update, Fuji staged the event for two seasons (2007 & 2008).  The race began behind the Safety Car, with Ferrari’s curious decision to start on intermediate tyres sending their drivers to the back of the field.  Hamilton pitted later than Alonso when racing got underway and cleared some important traffic, which Fernando couldn’t.  Despite a collision with Robert Kubica, Lewis continued to pull away at the front whilst Alonso ended up crashing out of the event.  After another Safety Car, which saw youngster Sebastian Vettel blot his copybook and crash into the back of a furious Mark Webber, Hamilton drove away again as he pleased to earn a vital win.  Kimi Raikkonen produced a similarly great drive against adversity to finish third behind Heikki Kovalainen.  Kubica ended up with a drive-through penalty for his clash with Hamilton, before losing a ferocious last lap dice over sixth with Felipe Massa’s Ferrari, which had echoes of Gilles Villeneuve/Rene Arnoux at Dijon in 1979.

F1 classic races - Belgium

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 from the classic Spa-Francorchamps circuit between 1991 and 2010.  Enjoy the archive!

1992

WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Benetton Ford), 2^nd: Nigel Mansell (Williams Renault), 3^rd: Riccardo Patrese (Williams Renault)

22-YEAR old Michael Schumacher achieved the first of his 91 career victories, just one year after he made his incredible Grand Prix debut at the same track.  The young German achieved the feat with a brilliant piece of thinking after an off-track excursion.  Schumacher slipped behind Martin Brundle when he took a trip across the grass and had a look at his team-mate’s degrading rear tyres.  He decided to pit earlier than his rivals and on a drying track, his gamble paid off.  Ayrton Senna’s did not.  Having taken a surprising lead, Senna elected to stay on his worn wet tyres, but it backfired and left him finishing down in fifth place.  Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese finished second and third, with these results good enough to seal the constructor’s championship for the utterly dominant Williams FW14B.

1995

WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Benetton Renault), 2^nd: Damon Hill (Williams Renault), 3^rd: Martin Brundle (Ligier Mugen Honda)

A SENSATIONAL drive from 16^th on the grid after a problematical qualifying session saw Michael Schumacher triumph in the 1995 Belgian Grand Prix.  He had an epic scrap with arch rival, Damon Hill, which included a spot of controversial wheel-banging at Les Combes on lap 22.  Schumacher, on slicks claimed he legitimately defended his line, whilst Hill, on wet tyres on a wet track thought he had been deliberately pushed off the racing line.  In the end, a stop-go penalty for speeding in the pitlane wrecked Hill’s hopes and he needed to pass Martin Brundle on the final lap to secure second spot.  Pole sitter Gerhard Berger retired with an electrical problem, with his team-mate Jean Alesi also out of luck, courtesy of suspension failure.  There was a nasty moment, when Eddie Irvine’s Jordan caught fire after a refuelling pitstop.  Luckily, with quick pit work from Jordan and Ligier fire mechanics, no-one was injured. 

1998

WINNER: Damon Hill (Jordan Mugen Honda), 2^nd: Ralf Schumacher (Jordan Mugen Honda), 3^rd: Jean Alesi (Sauber Petronas)

ONE of the most dramatic races ever seen in Formula One produced almost everything in absolutely horrific driving conditions.  First, David Coulthard crashed his McLaren exiting La Source and started a chain reaction of cars crashing into one another.  The end result of the carnage saw 13 cars terminally damaged, with four failing to restart and an hour’s start delay.  Amazingly, no-one was hurt.  At the second start, Damon Hill stormed into the lead, squeezing Mika Hakkinen into La Source.  Under pressure from title rival Michael Schumacher, Hakkinen lost control of his car and spun infront of the pack; to be collected by the luckless Johnny Herbert.  Schumacher produced a textbook overtaking manoeuvre to pass Hill on lap nine and was coasting to a dominant victory, when he came across a struggling Coulthard to lap him.  DC lifted off, Schumacher couldn’t see in the appalling visibility and careered into the back of the McLaren.  Both cars were out and what followed, was an angry exchange in the pits between the two drivers afterwards.  Later, Giancarlo Fisichella and Shinji Nakano were involved in a similar, scary incident, which left the Benetton of Fisichella looking like a torpedo.  After the Safety Car made an appearance, Ralf Schumacher was told not to overtake Hill, so Jordan could secure a 1-2 finish for the first time.  Ralf’s body language on the podium spoke volumes afterwards.  So, the way was clear for Hill to claim a fantastic victory for the Irish team, with Jean Alesi getting a well-deserved podium for Sauber.

F1 1998 - GP Belgique_G.FISICHELLA(Benetton... by parisiano60

2000

WINNER: Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes), 2^nd: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 3^rd: Ralf Schumacher (Williams BMW)

HAVING dominated qualifying, everyone expected Mika Hakkinen to run into the distance and hide in 2000.  However, on a wet track early on, it was Michael Schumacher who made the early running.  Schumacher’s cause was helped by Jenson Button’s ambitious move on Jarno Trulli into La Source on lap four, which took the Jordan out and hindered Button’s progress.  Seven laps later, Hakkinen had a half-spin at Stavelot, gifting Schumacher the lead.  However, on a drying track, the Ferrari was much slower than the McLaren, especially in a straight line.  With four laps remaining, Hakkinen got into the slipstream out of Eau Rouge and used Ricardo Zonta’s backmarker BAR to dummy Schumacher and pass him on the inside, with the German stuck on the outside and Zonta probably not knowing what he had just witnessed.  It was a masterful move from Hakkinen, undoubtedly his greatest ever Grand Prix victory.

2004

UNTOUCHABLE: Raikkonen was in a class of one in 2004

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

MICHAEL Schumacher made history in 2004, when he finished second to become a seven-time world Formula One champion.  However, he was beaten fair and square on the day by Kimi Raikkonen, who drove brilliantly to record McLaren’s first victory of a difficult and trying season.  The race started with chaos at La Source, with numbers of cars getting damaged.  Mark Webber and Takuma Sato tangled at Eau Rouge, whilst Raikkonen’s diffuser was broken in contact with Felipe Massa.  Having been hit by Webber at the first corner, Rubens Barrichello needed a new rear wing, but didn’t lose a lap in the pits, thanks to a Safety Car period.  The Renault’s led the early stages, but Jarno Trulli fell away dramatically with a mysterious lack of pace and Fernando Alonso was left beached in the gravel with an oil leak.  Michelin received heavy criticism, after witnessing three tyre blow-outs, which ruined David Coulthard’s race and caused the DNF’s of Jenson Button and Juan Pablo Montoya.  Button’s came after a 200mph blow-out sent him careering into the side of the helpless Minardi of Zsvolt Baumgartner.  Through all of the chaos around him, Raikkonen drove meticulously from tenth on the grid to record a magnificent victory.  However, he would have to share the limelight with Schumacher on this historic day.

2009

WINNER: Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari), 2^nd: Giancarlo Fisichella (Force India Mercedes), 3^rd: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing Renault)

IF HE hadn’t been passed on the KERS by Kimi Raikkonen after a Safety Car restart, Giancarlo Fisichella and Force India will have probably won.  A shock pole and a wonderful second spot was the dream ticket for the team and for the ageing Italian, who moved to Ferrari as stand-in for the injured Felipe Massa on the back of this amazing result.  It was a bad day for championship leader, Jenson Button, as he was taken out on the first lap by Romain Grosjean’s Renault.  However, with his main championship rivals, Rubens Barrichello in 7^th and Mark Webber out of the points in 9^th, little damage had been done to Button’s lead.  Third place kept Sebastian Vettel just about in touch with the leader. 

F1 classic races - Germany

THIS BLOG HAS BEEN DONE EARLIER THAN THE SCHEDULED DATE OF THE GERMAN GRAND PRIX, DUE TO MY IMPENDING WORK PLACEMENT IN LONDON NEXT WEEK!

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 staged under the German Grand Prix between 1991 and 2010.  Enjoy the archive!

1994

WINNER: Gerhard Berger (Ferrari), 2^nd: Olivier Panis (Ligier Renault), 3^rd: Eric Bernard (Ligier Renault)

FERRARI’s victory drought of nearly four years came to an end in the 1994 German Grand Prix, but it won’t be remembered for Gerhard Berger’s dominant victory from pole position.  Instead, it will be remembered for the frightening refuelling fire involving Benetton’s youngster Jos Verstappen.  Verstappen was in fifth place when he came in for a scheduled pitstop.  A fuel filter had been removed and petrol escaped from the refuelling rig, before the Benetton went up in flames.  Amazingly, Verstappen escaped with only minor burns, as did several of his team’s mechanics.  This race would also be remembered for a massive pile-up at the start of the race.  Ten cars were wiped out including Johnny Herbert, Mika Hakkinen, Mark Blundell, Michele Alboreto and Eddie Irvine.  Hakkinen was blamed and earnt a one-race ban for his troubles.  Damon Hill failed to capitalise on a rare engine failure for Michael Schumacher by clouting Ukyo Katayama at the third chicane on the first lap and winding up out of the points.  The high attrition rate allowed the uncompetitive Ligier Renaults of Olivier Panis and Eric Bernard to finish on the podium.  Oh and did I ever forget to mention that Gerhard Berger won this race for Ferrari!

1997

WINNER: Gerhard Berger (Benetton Renault), 2^nd: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 3^rd: Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes)

IT WAS one of the greatest comebacks in sport.  Gerhard Berger came back from a sinus infection and the tragic death of his father in an aeroplane crash to record his final victory in F1 for Benetton.  He began in pole position and made an unfancied two-stop strategy work.  However, he did earn some fortune, as Giancarlo Fisichella’s Jordan suffered a puncture whilst leading.  Fisichella retired cruelly with suspension damage which allowed the home favourite Michael Schumacher to finish second.  Neither Williams finished; Heinz-Harald Frentzen after a first lap collision with Eddie Irvine and Jacques Villeneuve spun off whilst trying to pass Jarno Trulli’s Prost.

1999

WINNER: Eddie Irvine (Ferrari), 2^nd: Mika Salo (Ferrari), 3^rd: Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Jordan Mugen Honda

MCLAREN should have secured a 1-2 at the home of Mercedes-Benz, but they blew it, as they did traditionally in 1999 and Ferrari took the maximum points instead.  David Coulthard touched Mika Salo’s Ferrari early on and damaged his front wing.  Later, a stop-go penalty for cutting the chicane whilst passing Olivier Panis compromised DC further and he finished a distant fifth.  World champion Mika Hakkinen was cruising to another victory when a refuelling rig problem at his sole pitstop dropped him to fourth.  A lap later, he passed Heinz-Harald Frentzen, but suffered a 200mph tyre blow-out entering the stadium.  He careered headfirst into the tyres, but escaped unharmed.  Salo drove brilliantly all weekend, but handed certain victory over to team-mate and championship contender Eddie Irvine.  Frentzen completed the podium procedure and there was another notable drive from Ralf Schumacher, coming through from 11^th on the grid to a fourth place finish.

2000

WINNER: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari), 2^nd: Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes)

RUBENS Barrichello charged through from 18^th on the grid to win his maiden Grand Prix in an event full of crashes, overtaking and even a lunatic running across the track during the race.  The 2000 race started spectacularly when home favourite Michael Schumacher tangled with Giancarlo Fisichella, sending both into the barriers at the first corner.  Like in 1999, the McLaren’s of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard dominated the early stages before the disgruntled Mercedes employee walked across the road just after half-distance.  The Safety Car came out and Hakkinen was preferred over Coulthard by McLaren, leaving DC stranded back in sixth.  Another Safety Car was deployed after Jean Alesi and Pedro Diniz collided and this was followed by the rain.  Hakkinen and Jarno Trulli elected to pit for wet tyres, but Barrichello stayed out on dry weather tyres and as only the stadium section was damp, it turned out to be an inspired gamble.  The emotion on the Brazilian’s face as he broke down on the podium with his national flag showed how much it meant to him.  The two McLaren’s survived to finish second and third and Jenson Button starred in the Williams.  Having been forced to start at the back of the grid, Button finished an inspired fourth, his best result of a sensational rookie season.

2003

WRECK: Raikkonen's car in tatters, seconds into the 2003 race

WINNER: Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams BMW), 2^nd: David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Jarno Trulli (Renault)

THE weekend was dominated by BMW Williams at ‘Hotenheim!’  Their drivers, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher were quickest in every single session, but Ralf was out seconds into the start of the race.  He wandered across the circuit on the rundown to turn one and squeezed Rubens Barrichello between him and Kimi Raikkonen.  The result was the three cars made contact, with Raikkonen’s McLaren connecting hard with the tyre barriers.  All three drivers; championship contenders were eliminated on the spot.  With Ralf out of the way, Montoya was left to win as he pleased, by over a minute.  There was a battle royal for second spot between Jarno Trulli, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and David Coulthard throughout the race.  Schumacher and Coulthard both passed Trulli, but fate dealt Michael a rare blow, as he picked up a puncture with just three laps to go.  He limped back to the pits and salvaged seventh place.  Coulthard finished second; his first podium since Australia and Trulli, despite being laid by a flu bug all weekend, came third for his first rostrum since Nurburgring 1999.  The result moved Williams to the top of the constructor’s championship and Montoya to within six points of Schumacher.

2009 – Held at the Nurburgring

WINNER: Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing Renault), 2^nd: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing Renault), 3^rd: Felipe Massa (Ferrari)

HAVING fought back from a leg breaking shunt in pre-season, Mark Webber finally ended years of bad luck and misfortune to win his first Formula One Grand Prix.  Webber started on pole position, but his aggressive defence on Rubens Barrichello in the rundown to turn one earnt Webber a drive-through penalty.  Despite this, he put in the drive of his life; at times lapping over one second quicker than his nearest challengers.  The cooler track temperatures, coupled with a three-stop strategy and a faulty fuel rig turned a possible podium for Barrichello into a very frustrated sixth place result.  Afterwards, he launched an extraordinary attack on his team for making him ‘lose the race.’  Sebastian Vettel was outshone by Webber on his home ground all weekend, but completed a Red Bull 1-2, whilst Felipe Massa made a welcome return to the podium for Ferrari.  Force India lost the possibility of their first points in the sport, when contact with Kimi Raikkonen left Adrian Sutil without a front wing.  Sutil was left back in 16^th at the end, when fifth place was possible at the finish.

F1 classic races - Europe

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)

EFFORTLESS: Senna completes 'The Greatest Lap Ever,' passing Prost

WINNER: Ayrton Senna (McLaren Ford), 2^nd: Damon Hill (Williams Renault), 3^rd: 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), 2^nd: Jean Alesi (Ferrari), 3^rd: 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 11^th 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), 2^nd: David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: 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 96^th 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), 2^nd: Jarno Trulli (Prost Peugeot), 3^rd: 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 14^th, 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), 2^nd: Nick Heidfeld (Williams BMW), 3^rd: 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), 2^nd: Felipe Massa (Ferrari), 3^rd: 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.

F1's day of shame - The Indianapolis 2005 tyre debacle

AS THE FIA and the Grand Prix teams clash over whether we should end up going to race in Bahrain this season, I will share the darkest day the sport shared in recent times, when politics overcame sport and turned one of the greatest shows in sport into an utter farce.  The 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis was the day when Formula One rejected America and many fans walked away in disgust.  Here are the events of a dark weekend in its colourful 61-year history.

     Formula One arrived in Indianapolis, the capital of the motor racing world for the ninth round of the 2005 world championship.  After another dramatic event in Montreal, many were gripped by the intense title battle between young guns Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.  Alonso had a handy championship lead for Renault, but Raikkonen’s victory in the Canadian Grand Prix seven days earlier had put pressure on Fernando, who crashed in Montreal.  Any talk of championship potential quickly whittled away when free practice began in America.

CHAIN: Dark events took place after Ralf Schumacher's crash

     The weekend looked like it might turn into a bleak one when Toyota test driver Ricardo Zonta spun off the track into the turn four gravel trap, with a right-rear puncture.  Surely, this was just a dodgy set of tyres?  No, it wasn’t.  Moments later, fellow Toyota driver Ralf Schumacher crashed heavily in the turn 13 banked oval, also due to a right-rear tyre failure.  Ironically, it was at the same place where Ralf had crashed his Williams in the 2004 event, which forced him to miss six races of the previous campaign.  Incredibly, he got out of his battered chassis unharmed, but clearly had been shaken up, and missed the rest of the weekend.  With Ralf okay, attention soon turned to how the accident had been caused.  Speculation began to rise that the Michelin tyres might not be able to handle the newly resurfaced track on the turn 13 banked oval.

      On Saturday morning, Michelin wrote to the FIA, insisting that they did not have total guarantee that the tyres would be able to handle the resurfaced area, unless a speed restriction, such as a chicane was put into place.  Meetings were held throughout the weekend between the FIA, team bosses and drivers to discuss the possible solutions that could occur.  As Michelin were supplying seven of the ten teams; Toyota, McLaren, Sauber, Renault, Red Bull, BAR and Williams, it was clear that this was a dire situation.  Michelin flew over tyre constructions that had been used in May’s Spanish Grand Prix, but they also couldn’t hold up to the turn 13 corner, especially over a full Grand Prix distance.  As all drivers in 2005 were required to complete qualifying and the race on just a single set of tyres, this was a big problem.  It is believed that the Michelin teams offered the chance to handicap themselves, such as grid penalties, fines for tyre changes and even no points for teams and drivers, just so the fans could see a race spectacle.  They all pushed for a temporary chicane to be installed in turn 13 by raceday.

     Come race morning, and the chicane had not been built overnight.  FIA president Max Mosley insisted that a chicane couldn’t be built, as if a crash occurred on a temporary part of road and injury occurred, an American judge wouldn’t care less about the background and would throw the book at the accused.  As ITV (UK), Speed TV (USA), Ten (Australia) and other worldwide broadcasters went on the air to start their race build-up, no-one knew whether a race would take place.

      The Michelin teams were furious and until more meetings were held, insisted they would not leave the pits on raceday.  Minardi, a Bridgestone shod-team joined the party, and accusations soon pointed in Ferrari’s direction.  There were claims that Ferrari felt a significant disadvantage would be handed to them, for having suitable tyres.  Bridgestone, only represented by Ferrari, Minardi and Jordan bought a conservative race tyre to Indianapolis, as the Japanese manufacturer understood the risks of potential high tyre wear through the resurfaced turn 13.  With twenty minutes to go, before the scheduled 1pm race start, the Michelin teams were given permission to go out to the grid.  On the grid, team bosses were still holding discussions, which still suggested that things weren’t right.  Even FOM president Bernie Ecclestone didn't seem to know much about what was going on when ITV commentator Martin Brundle pressed him for answers on the grid.  After all, with many worldwide sponsors in presence, a huge television audience to please and an expectant crowd at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Formula One was under pressure to deliver.

      No-one quite knew what was going to happen as the cars set off on the formation lap, with drivers warming up in a normal procedure.  Toyota had taken their first pole position through Jarno Trulli, with Raikkonen alongside him.  Alonso had only managed sixth in qualifying, behind Jenson Button, team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella and the first Ferrari of Michael Schumacher.  As the cars approached the final corner, Alonso was told by his race engineer the plan for this event; “straight into the pits mate.”  Pole man Trulli led the teams with Michelin tyres into the pits.  All the Michelin-shod teams were pulling out of the event.  A shocked Schumacher led team-mate Rubens Barrichello around onto an empty grid, with only two Jordan’s and two Minardi’s also lining up at the back of the grid.  As Schumacher led the six-car farce into turn one, the Michelin teams stood back and watched.

      The drivers all wanted to race, and were just as disappointed.  Ron Dennis had to restrain Kimi Raikkonen from racing, Jenson Button looked as white as a sheep in the pits, Mark Webber disappeared into his motorhome and didn’t appear for the rest of the afternoon and Juan Pablo Montoya broke down in tears, gutted at not being able to race in an event close to his heart (he won the Indianapolis 500 in 2000.)  Other drivers like Felipe Massa didn’t hang around and headed straight for the airport, probably contemplating the following morning’s dismal media headlines.  It was a disappointing and shameful conclusion to events.  As soon as the Michelin teams headed for the pits, I myself turned off my TV and went off to do some exam revision.  Being a massive F1 fan myself, I was devastated, angry, hurt and ashamed to even be associated with a sport where political rows could overtake a sporting spectacle.  It took the majority of the rest of the 2005 season for me to forgive Formula One and its higher forces for this shoddy debacle. 

      For the record, Schumacher went onto win his only race of that season, and all six cars finished.  Tiago Montiero became the first Portuguese driver to finish on the podium for Jordan.  Many fans didn’t stay around to watch, leaving the circuit in disgust and throwing beer bottles and other pieces of litter onto the circuit.  Those actions shouldn’t happen, but their frustration could be shared by millions across the world.   

      Michelin accepted responsibility and agreed to refund all fans who attended the 2005 United States Grand Prix.  They also purchased 15,000 free tickets to give away for the following year’s event.  However, their credibility was shattered and they left F1 at the end of the 2006 season.  F1’s reputation in America suffered too.  The sport returned to Indianapolis for two more seasons, but poor attendances led to its demise from the calendar at the end of its contract in 2007.  It will return to a new circuit in Texas next summer.

      Formula One has had many scarred days in its past.  Few will forget the tragic events of Imola 1994, nor the team orders scandal in Austria 2002, but Indianapolis 2005 will stand out as the day politics and bickering beat sport, in a biggest tyre debacle of the decade. 

      Let’s hope the sport doesn’t go to Bahrain this October, otherwise we could be set for another dark day in its history.

F1 classic races - China

     

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 in China between 2004 and 2010.  Enjoy the archive!

2004

WINNER: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari), 2^nd: Jenson Button (BAR Honda), 3^rd: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes)

F1’s first visit to China came in September 2004.  The Chinese put on an impressive show for Bernie Ecclestone and a worldwide television audience and Rubens Barrichello stepped out of the shadows of Michael Schumacher to record back-to-back wins.  Schumacher had a nightmare weekend in Shanghai.  He threw away the chance of an all-Ferrari front row by chucking his car into the scenery during qualifying.  On raceday, the German slammed straight into the side of Christian Klien, eliminating the Austrian, endured a wild spin, and then collected a puncture.  Despite setting fastest lap, 12^th was the best he could manage.  His brother Ralf annoyed his Williams team by refusing to return to the event in protest of having to make way for his team-mate’s second pitstop.  Schuey Jnr was eliminated in a clash with David Coulthard.  McLaren attempted to win the race, by employing an aggressive strategy for Kimi Raikkonen, but it cost them second place to Jenson Button’s two-stopping BAR Honda.

2005

WINNER: Fernando Alonso (Renault), 2^nd: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Ralf Schumacher (Toyota)

Fernando Alonso clinched the constructor’s championship with Renault, ending the V10 era on a high in the 2005 season finale.  He dominated from start-to-finish, despite two Safety Cars.  The first was for a drain gully coming up on Turn 10, which was hit by Juan Pablo Montoya’s McLaren.  Suspension damage and engine trouble finished Montoya’s day.  The second pace car was to recover the Jordan of Narain Karthikeyan, who had a spectacular accident on the last appearance for the Jordan team name.  Michael Schumacher had a day to forget, dwindling into the path of Christjian Albers Minardi on the way to the grid, causing one of the strangest crashes of the entire season.  He then spun off warming his tyres up during a Safety Car period.  Kimi Raikkonen was second and Ralf Schumacher claimed a surprising podium for the Toyota team.

2006

WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 2^nd: Fernando Alonso (Renault), 3^rd: Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault)

OVERJOYED: Schumacher overcame all the odds to win in 2006

As it stands, this was Michael Schumacher’s 91^st and last F1 win.  On a wet day in China, Schumacher overcame an inferior car/tyre package to take the lead in the 2006 title race.  Having started on pole position, Fernando Alonso cruised into a 15 second lead in the early stages.  However, Renault decided to keep his old tyres on at his first pitstop, which cost them dearly.  Alonso’s lead was gobbled up by team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella and Schumacher.  He was powerless to resist the pair and a sticky wheel nut at his second stop finished his victory chances.  Schumacher jumped Fisichella at the second stops to record a famous win, one of his greatest in his distinguished career.  Kimi Raikkonen would have been in the shake-up at the end, but for a throttle actuator problem.  A chaotic final lap saw Rubens Barrichello shunt into Nick Heidfeld’s BMW Sauber on the penultimate corner.  This handed Jenson Button and Pedro de la Rosa fourth and fifth, whilst a wingless Barrichello crossed the line sixth and Heidfeld was classified seventh.

2007

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

AGONY: Hamilton walks away, after his 07 DNF

This was meant to be the day that Lewis Hamilton completed the fairytale and wrapped up the championship in this, his rookie season.  However, it ended to be the day that his championship bid came off the rails.  Despite starting on pole, Hamilton’s tyres completely disintegrated down to the canvas.  Agony followed, as he came in for fresh tyres, the McLaren slid into the gravel and got beached in the pitlane entry.  Kimi Raikkonen went onto win the race, ahead of Fernando Alonso to ensure a three-way championship battle heading to the final duel in Brazil.  Sebastian Vettel and Vitantonio Liuzzi scored the best ever finish for the Scuderia Toro Rosso team; earning fourth and sixth place finishes for the Italian team from Farenza.  Jenson Button’s fifth place result was the best of the season for the beleaguered Honda squad.

2009

WINNER: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing Renault), 2^nd: Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing Renault), 3^rd: Jenson Button (Brawn Mercedes)

A very wet day and Shanghai 2009 was the start of the Red Bull revolution.  Sebastian Vettel clinched pole position on Saturday, despite driveshaft issues.  On Sunday, he drove impeccably in conditions that got worse with each passing lap.  He led Mark Webber home to a 1-2 finish, the first victory for Red Bull Racing.  Jenson Button earnt himself third place to keep his command on the early stages of the 2009 championship, with Rubens Barrichello holding off Heikki Kovalainen’s McLaren to finish fourth.  Force India lost their chance to secure championship points for the first time when Adrian Sutil aquaplaned into the barriers with only five laps to go, throwing away three points with it.  Ferrari remained without a point, after Felipe Massa retired due to a fuel pressure problem, and Kimi Raikkonen could only muster a very poor tenth. 

2010

WINNER: Jenson Button (McLaren Mercedes), 2^nd: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes GP)

Last season saw the first British 1-2 since Silverstone 1999 in another wet Chinese Grand Prix.  Jenson Button made a couple of brilliant tactical decisions to stay out on the track when an early rain shower arrived.  This meant the world champion won his second race for McLaren in only four events for his new team.  Lewis Hamilton produced an aggressive drive to seal McLaren’s first maximum score since Monza 2007.  Nico Rosberg recorded a second successive rostrum for Mercedes GP, having led the early stages.  Having started on the front row of the grid together, it was a bad day for Red Bull Racing.  Some shocking pitstops left Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber hobbled down the order in sixth and eighth come the chequered flag.  Despite a blatant jumpstart, Fernando Alonso came home in a strong fourth for Ferrari, whilst another former champion, Michael Schumacher struggled with his car all day and could only gain a point for his hard-working efforts.

F1 classic races - Malaysia

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 in Malaysia between 1999 and 2010.  Enjoy the archive!

1999

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

THE first trip to Sepang was for the penultimate round of the 1999 championship.  Ferrari looked on the ropes after a shambolic performance at the previous event at the Nurburgring, but played their wild card to great effect.  Michael Schumacher made his comeback here after breaking his leg at the British Grand Prix and destroyed the competition in Malaysia.  He took pole position by a full second, and insisted he would help Eddie Irvine’s bid to become Ferrari’s first world champion since 1979.  On raceday, Schumacher pulled over to let Irvine through early on, but David Coulthard bravely found a way past the German’s defences and set after Irvine.  Alternator problems put paid to DC’s hopes and Schumacher spent the rest of the day going as slow as possible to help out Irvine and harm Mika Hakkinen’s hopes of a second consecutive title.  After pitstops, Schumacher was ahead again and once again, did his duty for Irvine to claim the maximum points.  Hakkinen finished an exhausted third, but was champion hours later when both Ferrari’s were thrown out for illegal barge boards.  The Scuderia appealed in Paris and the FIA overturned the decision made by the race stewards in Malaysia to take the title showdown all the way down to Suzuka.  Michael Schumacher was well and truly back! 

2001

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

SYNCHRONISED: Gravel trips from Ferrari couldn't stop them in 2001

When the results show a Ferrari 1-2, it suggests this was a boring race.  Far from it!  A typical Malaysian monsoon hit the track three laps into the event.  Combined with oil from Olivier Panis BAR Honda engine, Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello both skated into the gravel in synchronised style.  After a chaotic pitstop, which saw Barrichello in the pits for over a minute, the Ferrari’s went on intermediate tyres.  It was a masterstroke, which left the rest of the opposition look like complete fools.  Barrichello and Schumacher went from 10^th and 11^th to 1^st and 2^nd in less than ten laps, and the rest they say is history.  David Coulthard was best of the rest.

2003

WINNER: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes), 2^nd: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari), 3^rd: Fernando Alonso (Renault)

This will go down as the weekend when the young guns truly burst onto the Grand Prix scene.  At 21 years of age, Fernando Alonso took a stunning pole position in his only his second start for Renault, becoming the youngest ever driver to do so in the process.  On Sunday, 23-year old Kimi Raikkonen finally fulfilled his raw talent by recording his first career victory, and left Ron Dennis in tears.  David Coulthard was denied a shot at victory by engine failure, whilst Michael Schumacher made a meal of the first lap and smashed into the side of Jarno Trulli, causing chaos and ending Juan Pablo Montoya’s chances of serious points, as his rear wing was assaulted by Antonio Pizzonia.  Trulli and Schumacher wound up fifth and sixth, behind Barrichello and Alonso, who became the first Spaniard on a Grand Prix podium for the first time since 1956.

2004

WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 2^nd: Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams BMW), 3^rd: Jenson Button (BAR Honda)

Michael Schumacher may have made it two wins from two in 2004, but the day belonged to Jenson Button.  The Brit has suffered rotten luck in Malaysia in the previous two years, having been overtaken by Schumacher on the last lap himself.  This time, he managed a late engine issue to beat Rubens Barrichello across the line and join the elite of stepping onto the podium for the first time.  Juan Pablo Montoya pushed Schumacher all the way, but had to settle for second; unhappy with Barrichello holding him up just after his final stop.  Sadly, Mark Webber couldn’t convert his outstanding front row grid spot for Jaguar.  He had clutch problems at the start, a drive-through for speeding in the pits, a clash with Ralf Schumacher which punctured one of his tyres and eventually, his shambolic race ended in the kitty litter.

2005

WINNER: Fernando Alonso (Renault), 2^nd: Jarno Trulli (Toyota), 3^rd: Nick Heidfeld (Williams BMW)

PACKED: The midfield in 2005 was tough to separate

Two years after he truly made a name for himself in Malaysia, Fernando Alonso began his charge to his first ever championship with a dominant victory in Kuala Lumpur.  He started from the front and led every lap to beat Jarno Trulli, his former team-mate at Renault.  Trulli’s second place finish was Toyota’s first podium in Formula One.  Winner of the opening race Giancarlo Fisichella had a tangle with Australian Mark Webber, which ended both of their races.  This opened the door for Nick Heidfeld to register the final rostrum spot in the sister Williams.  Michael Schumacher was a very distant 7^th, Kimi Raikkonen finished out of the points following a puncture and neither BAR completed three laps, due to engine woes!

2009

WINNER: Jenson Button (Brawn Mercedes), 2^nd: Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber), 3^rd: Timo Glock (Toyota)

Only half points were awarded in the 2009 race, as fading light and a tropical rainstorm halted the event after just 31 laps.  However, in the racing laps that took place, there was plenty of excitement.  Jenson Button had pole position, but dropped to fourth on the first corner, as Nico Rosberg charged into the lead.  The early exchanges saw Fernando Alonso battle bravely with a Renault that simply wasn’t up to the front running pace.  Despite his best efforts, he dropped from third to seventh in the first ten laps.  Button used the pitstops to leapfrog both Rosberg and Jarno Trulli and began to pull away at the front.  His only main threat came from the other Toyota of Timo Glock.  Glock had put intermediates on when the rain began to fell, and quickly passed a load of cars that had trundled around on the extreme wets.  The German even led the race for a lap, but was passed by Button and Nick Heidfeld, who had deployed a similar tactic to his countryman.  Mark Webber, Rosberg, Trulli, Lewis Hamilton and Rubens Barrichello were involved in a frenzied battle for fourth place, eventually won by Trulli.  The race ended as Sebastian Buemi, Sebastian Vettel and Giancarlo Fisichella all flew into the gravel trap in undriveable conditions.  It was another miserable day for Ferrari, with Felipe Massa out of the points and Kimi Raikkonen put onto wets on a bone dry track!  The Finn eventually retired with a KERS related issue.  Button had set his stall out to dominate the 2009 season, and the early season races were all about him and Brawn GP. 

F1 title deciders

THE result of yesterday’s Brazilian Grand Prix means that we have a four way showdown for the driver’s world championship for the first time in the sport’s sixty year history.  Come Sunday afternoon in the twilight of Abu Dhabi, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber or Sebastian Vettel will be celebrating world championship glory.

Here are ten fantastic finales from years gone by. . .

1976 – Fuji (Japan)

TITLE CONTENDERS: James Hunt (CHAMPION), Niki Lauda

NIKI Lauda was lucky to survive a near-death experience when he crashed on the classic Nurburgring track and the Austrian was badly burned.  As the season went on, his advantage had been whittled down to nothing, and in the final event at the Fuji Speedway, he pulled off early on, refusing to risk his life in such dangerous conditions.  McLaren’s charismatic Brit James Hunt, now only needed 3^rd to wrap up the title, but suffered a puncture whilst leading.  A late fightback saw Hunt charge back up into the 3^rd spot that he required to snatch the title from Lauda and become 1976 champion.

1981 – Las Vegas

TITLE CONTENDERS: Carlos Reutemann, Nelson Piquet (CHAMPION), Jacques Laffite

HELD at Caesars Palace, a car park decided this 1981 title battle, which in an unremarkable setting saw a thrilling finish.  Williams Carlos Reutemann held a one point lead over Brazilian Nelson Piquet, with Ligier’s Jacques Laffite a further five points adrift.  Reutemann started on pole, but his general inconsistency shone through at the crucial point.  Unhappy with the handling of his car, the Argentine – who is now a leading politician in his home country slipped out of the points.  Piquet scrambled across the line in 5^th place, just ahead of Laffite to snatch his first championship.

1984 – Estoril (Portugal)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Alain Prost, Niki Lauda (CHAMPION)

ALAIN Prost had narrowly missed out on the world championship with Renault in 1983, and heartbreak struck him the following year, by the narrowest of margins.  Prost, now driving for McLaren dominated the Portuguese Grand Prix and won easily.  However, his canny and very experienced team-mate Niki Lauda, leading Prost by three and a half points going into the race only needed a second place to clinch his third championship.  Despite starting only 11^th, Lauda fought through to second place to deny Prost of his maiden title by half a point, still the closest margin ever.

1986 – Adelaide (Australia)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost (CHAMPION)

NIGEL Mansell looked set to button up his first world championship Down Under in 1986, but grave misfortune was to strike the plucky Brit.  A dramatic tyre explosion down the long backstraight finished his chances of winning his maiden title.  Concerned about whether the same plight might happen to the other car, Williams went cautious and pitted Nelson Piquet for fresh tyres.  This handed Alain Prost’s McLaren the lead, the race and as the unlikely outsider – the championship in the most dramatic of all showdowns.

1994 – Adelaide (Australia)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Michael Schumacher (CHAMPION), Damon Hill

1994 was a season full of triumph and tragedy.  The shocking death of Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna at the San Marino Grand Prix put a cloud over the whole season, as did allegations of cheating by the Benetton team.  Going into the final event, German supremo Michael Schumacher led Damon Hill by a solitary point, and in the Adelaide race, they went wheel-to-wheel.  On Lap 36, Schumacher made an unforced driving error and smashed into a wall at Wakefield Bend.  An unsighted Hill came around the corner and dived for the inside.  Schumacher turned in and the pair collided.  The Benetton was launched into the air and out of the proceedings, but his actions left Damon with a damaged wishbone and out of the race in the pits.  Schumacher was champion in bitter circumstances.

1996 – Suzuka (Japan)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Damon Hill (CHAMPION), Jacques Villeneuve

DAMON Hill was the overwhelming favourite for the 1996 championship, but a catalogue of late-season nightmares gave his rookie Williams team-mate Jacques Villeneuve a sniff at the title.  Nine points behind, it was always going to be a tough ask for Villeneuve, and although he took top spot in qualifying, a dreadful start saw the Canadian relegated to 7^th.  A right-rear wheel flew off on Lap 36 and left Jacques buried in the gravel.  Hill led from start-to-finish to claim an emotional championship success in his last race for the team, which also left BBC commentator Murray Walker “with a lump in his throat!”

1997 – Jerez (Spain)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve (CHAMPION)

JEREZ was the setting for the final race in 1997, with Michael Schumacher holding a one point lead over Jacques Villeneuve.  It started with an amazing qualifying session, when the two title contenders and Heinz-Harald Frentzen set the same exact time of 1.21.072.  In the race, Schumacher got away better and led Villeneuve until Lap 47, when the Canadian pulled off a brave lunge down the inside of the Ferrari at Dry Sac corner.  Schumacher repeated his 1994 actions and deliberately turned in, but it was his car that ended in the gravel and out of the event.  Villeneuve limped around to finish 3^rd and clinch the championship in only his second season in the sport.  Schumacher was excluded from the final standings for his actions.

1999 – Suzuka (Japan)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Mika Hakkinen (CHAMPION), Eddie Irvine

EDDIE Irvine’s big chance to win the drivers’ championship was in 1999, when Michael Schumacher broke his leg at the British Grand Prix.  Schumacher returned for the final two races, and helped Irvine win in Malaysia to take the title battle to the wire, with the Ulsterman four points clear of Mika Hakkinen.  At Suzuka though, previously an Irvine expert track, he struggled – crashing heavily in qualifying and finishing a distant 3^rd in the race, over a minute off the winner.  Schumacher took pole position, but Hakkinen beat him off the grid and dominated from there to win and become a back-to-back champion.  Irvine went to Jaguar for 2000 and his career dithered into oblivion.

2007 – Interlagos (Brazil)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen (CHAMPION), Fernando Alonso

THE 2007 season was a sensational season, as McLaren and Ferrari battled for supremacy.  In his rookie season, Lewis Hamilton looked set to complete the incredible story, as he was four points ahead of his team-mate Fernando Alonso going into the final round.  Sadly, it all went wrong in Brazil for Lewis, who went off on the first lap trying to pass Alonso, then lost nearly 45 seconds when his gearbox got stuck in neutral.  Seventh place was all he could manage, whilst his tempestuous team-mate Alonso was third.  However, the outsider, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen – who had been 17 points behind Hamilton with two races to go, won the race after Felipe Massa backed off and let him through at the final round of stops.  It was enough to give the flying Finn a very unlikely title success.

2008 – Interlagos (Brazil)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Lewis Hamilton (CHAMPION), Felipe Massa

FOR the second successive year, Lewis Hamilton went to Sao Paulo seven points clear of a Ferrari driver.  This time, it was the local driver Felipe Massa.  Massa went into the weekend with nothing to lose and was in total command, taking pole position and surviving a variable condition race to win.  Hamilton ran a secure 4^th for most of the afternoon, only requiring 5^th for the title.  A late rain shower saw Lewis drop behind the Toro Rosso of Sebastian Vettel and down into sixth spot.  Luckily, Timo Glock’s Toyota (on dry tyres) was left stranded by the late downpour and the McLaren was able to pass on the last corner of the last lap to clinch the championship in the most unbelievable manner.