Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Monaco in my mind
Monaco is race which holds many attractions for me. It's supposed to be the most glamorous of the occasions of the calendar but that's not really the thing that I find attractive about it. The thing about it for me is much more its unadulterated feel. The glamour has protected this race from change. This is certainly a race that has a preserved feel about it. Something in the glamour and the pomp and circumstances allows it to be so dangerous and get away with it. (Actually the fact that it seems so dangerous makes it safer than other races in some ways - people have been very well behaved here for many years because of its throwback feel).
My favourite memory is from a long while ago, ten years to be precise. It is one of the races that I remember above all else. Somehow because of my age and when I came to the sport this one race at Monaco stands out. It was the grand prix of 1996 and in that race only 4 drivers finished. And Olivier Panis won in a Ligier. It was an incredible race. If anyone has it on video I would love to see it.
I'm not sure it was my favourite race ever. It was a race that I just will probably remember forever.
What's your favourite race of all time? I'll try and decide on mine too.
My favourite memory is from a long while ago, ten years to be precise. It is one of the races that I remember above all else. Somehow because of my age and when I came to the sport this one race at Monaco stands out. It was the grand prix of 1996 and in that race only 4 drivers finished. And Olivier Panis won in a Ligier. It was an incredible race. If anyone has it on video I would love to see it.
I'm not sure it was my favourite race ever. It was a race that I just will probably remember forever.
What's your favourite race of all time? I'll try and decide on mine too.
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The best race for me has to be the 1997 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Damon Hill driving for Arrows Yamaha in 1997 was not in the best car by any stretch of the imagination. He had certainly had his share of reliability problems, even breaking down on the parade lap in the first race of the season if memory serves me correctly.
Hungary though was a good circuit for Damon, he had won his first race here in 1993 and won again in 1995, Schumacher had won in 1994 and Villeneuve in 1996 but Hill still had never finished outside the top 2.
Supposedly a difficult circuit to pass on, Hill amazingly qualified third with Schumacher taking the pole and Villeneuve starting second. Behind Hill on the grid were Hakkinen, Irvine, Frentzen, Berger and Coulthard.
Williams still had the dominant car in 1997, which would eventually take Villeneuve to the championship. Schumacher was the championship leader going into the race. McLaren were in the fight and would establish themselves as the car to beat from the last race of 1997 for the next few years. Berger in the Benetton had won the previous race.
Hill (with 21 wins under his belt to Schumacher's 25 at this stage) in a car that had never won, with an engine that had never won and Bridgestone tyres that had never won certainly had his work cut out.
Before the race though Hill said "We could win, there's no reason why we couldn't win"
As the race started Hill showed that these were not just hopeful but empty words by overtaking Villeneuve right at the start to take second behind Schumacher into the first corner while holding off Irvine.
Hill was easily matching Schumacher's lap times and even started to close the gap, putting in some fastest laps in the process, even though Schumacher still had a speed advantage on the pit straight. Ironically it was down the pit straight where Hill made his move. Closing up on Schumacher during the last sector, Hill was right under the Ferrari's rear wing entering the pit straight to maximise the tow effect and dived past Schumacher into the breaking zone into the first corner. Of course we as the viewer didn't see this until later as, as was typical during ITV's early days of F1 coverage, we in the middle of an ad break.
Hill opened up a big lead punching in more fastest laps, as Schumacher held up the rest of the field on the softer tyres.
Frentzen in the Williams was going well too though and put in some fastest laps himself and even led for a bit during the pit stop phase before his engine broke.
Hill increased his lead during the pit stops, leaving Villeneuve and Coulthard locked in battle for second and third, and building up a 30 second gap between himself and second placed Villeneuve.
Coulthard eventually conked out, which moved Herbert up to third in the Sauber. Villeneuve was still slipping back in second place as Hill continued his relentless surge towards the finish line, Murray trying not to say anything that will cause Hill's Arrows to breakdown, until………………………………….
…the 75th lap, reliability issues strike again, a throttle problem sees Hill lose 8 seconds on lap 75, which seems to wake Villeneuve up and sends him hurrying after Hill again. Damon Hill crosses the line to start the 77th and final lap amazingly still in the lead, albeit with Villeneuve bearing down fast on his ailing Arrows.
Murray, legend that he his, still makes this one of the most nail biting finishes to a race I can remember, I'm still gripped with excitement watching this race, even years later and knowing full well what is going to happen.
Villeneuve on the grass sweeps past Hill to take the win, his second here in two years, but Hill manages to keep going to finish second. It would have been a truly historic win but sadly wasn't to be, Hill though showed that he really is a great driver even when not necessarily in the best car.
Damon Hill driving for Arrows Yamaha in 1997 was not in the best car by any stretch of the imagination. He had certainly had his share of reliability problems, even breaking down on the parade lap in the first race of the season if memory serves me correctly.
Hungary though was a good circuit for Damon, he had won his first race here in 1993 and won again in 1995, Schumacher had won in 1994 and Villeneuve in 1996 but Hill still had never finished outside the top 2.
Supposedly a difficult circuit to pass on, Hill amazingly qualified third with Schumacher taking the pole and Villeneuve starting second. Behind Hill on the grid were Hakkinen, Irvine, Frentzen, Berger and Coulthard.
Williams still had the dominant car in 1997, which would eventually take Villeneuve to the championship. Schumacher was the championship leader going into the race. McLaren were in the fight and would establish themselves as the car to beat from the last race of 1997 for the next few years. Berger in the Benetton had won the previous race.
Hill (with 21 wins under his belt to Schumacher's 25 at this stage) in a car that had never won, with an engine that had never won and Bridgestone tyres that had never won certainly had his work cut out.
Before the race though Hill said "We could win, there's no reason why we couldn't win"
As the race started Hill showed that these were not just hopeful but empty words by overtaking Villeneuve right at the start to take second behind Schumacher into the first corner while holding off Irvine.
Hill was easily matching Schumacher's lap times and even started to close the gap, putting in some fastest laps in the process, even though Schumacher still had a speed advantage on the pit straight. Ironically it was down the pit straight where Hill made his move. Closing up on Schumacher during the last sector, Hill was right under the Ferrari's rear wing entering the pit straight to maximise the tow effect and dived past Schumacher into the breaking zone into the first corner. Of course we as the viewer didn't see this until later as, as was typical during ITV's early days of F1 coverage, we in the middle of an ad break.
Hill opened up a big lead punching in more fastest laps, as Schumacher held up the rest of the field on the softer tyres.
Frentzen in the Williams was going well too though and put in some fastest laps himself and even led for a bit during the pit stop phase before his engine broke.
Hill increased his lead during the pit stops, leaving Villeneuve and Coulthard locked in battle for second and third, and building up a 30 second gap between himself and second placed Villeneuve.
Coulthard eventually conked out, which moved Herbert up to third in the Sauber. Villeneuve was still slipping back in second place as Hill continued his relentless surge towards the finish line, Murray trying not to say anything that will cause Hill's Arrows to breakdown, until………………………………….
…the 75th lap, reliability issues strike again, a throttle problem sees Hill lose 8 seconds on lap 75, which seems to wake Villeneuve up and sends him hurrying after Hill again. Damon Hill crosses the line to start the 77th and final lap amazingly still in the lead, albeit with Villeneuve bearing down fast on his ailing Arrows.
Murray, legend that he his, still makes this one of the most nail biting finishes to a race I can remember, I'm still gripped with excitement watching this race, even years later and knowing full well what is going to happen.
Villeneuve on the grass sweeps past Hill to take the win, his second here in two years, but Hill manages to keep going to finish second. It would have been a truly historic win but sadly wasn't to be, Hill though showed that he really is a great driver even when not necessarily in the best car.
Having just mentioned Hockenheim 2004 in a previous message I'm considering that as a very good race, but I think I'll have to go for Silverstone 2003 (unfortunately my range of choice is rather limited having only officially started watching F1 in 2000).
A priest on the track, Barrichello overtaking Raikkonen under the bridge, it was amazing. Barrichello's first win was also incredible: staying out on dry tyres in the rain on the old Hockenheim circuit, the two McLarens ruthlessly hunting him down... but he made it.
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A priest on the track, Barrichello overtaking Raikkonen under the bridge, it was amazing. Barrichello's first win was also incredible: staying out on dry tyres in the rain on the old Hockenheim circuit, the two McLarens ruthlessly hunting him down... but he made it.
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