2013 Monaco Grand Prix

An unsatisfactory race on several counts.  Too many crashes, which made the race scrappy and fragmented. It goes without saying that the "the tyre situation" once again reared its head, and the effects were felt particularly acutely in the early stages.  At least there was no shortage of talking points!

Nico Rosberg looked to have the legs of everyone else for the bulk of the weekend.  On paper, it looked like the impediments which have afflicted Mercedes' race form in recent times would be less pronounced in the principality, and so it proved, even allowing for some reservations expressed by the drivers.

The one mystery in the race was the mediocre showing of Fernando Alonso, who if anything seemed to go backwards as things progressed. I for one had expected his nous and solidity to show through here, but it was not to be, and it has to go down as a missed opportunity.

Whilst some of the established runners were encountering misfortune, others were performing above themselves.  A superb drive by Adrian Sutil, his most convincing since he returned to Formula 1, a reminder of his capabilities, and another building block in his bid for recognition.  Drives tend to be noticed more at Monaco than at most other venues. Jean-Eric Vergne's eighth-place finish was also a fine achievement. 

McLaren were unexpectedly visible and prominent in the race, even allowing for their mildly encouraging practice. Sergio Perez caused a few ructions with his tactics, but at least showed some fire.  The sixth place notched up by Jenson Button is very welcome, but is unlikely to fool too many people at McLaren. 

A mundane, uneventful and smooth weekend for Romain Grosjean!.  It was like 2012 all over again.  His raw talent is not in the slightest doubt, but a nice anonymous but productive weekend in Montreal would not go amiss. With luck this latest penalty might concentrate his mind. When we also consider Raikkonen's problems late in the race, one hopes that Monaco does not signal some kind of downturn in fortunes for Lotus. 

Reading form from here on in is tricky.  It seems reasonable to assume that Red Bull are not going to crumble or weaken appreciably.  The growing strength and confidence of Mercedes, if it can be sustained, is the new factor in the equation. In fact Sebastian Vettel, with a nice little points cushion, will possibly secretly welcome this trend, as it is likely to deprive Ferrari and Lotus of points in their efforts to close the gap. 

1978 Monaco Grand Prix

I recently watched a full video of the 1978 Monaco Grand Prix, and this prompted me to make some observations about the Formula 1 scene back then, and the odd comparison to our modern racing.

Viewing footage of this particular race served to remind me that this was the end of an era, and the dawn of a watershed in the sport's development, although few realised it at the time.  This was the last race before the introduction of the revolutionary and ground-breaking Lotus 79.  The complexion of F1 altered almost overnight, and the contest in the principality was the last glimpse of the "old order".  Grand Prix racing lost some of its innocence, and the modern era commenced.  Not only were "ground effects" about to become de rigueur, the commercial side of the sport was also beginning to be transformed, largely through television exposure.

These things are keenly felt by the likes of myself, who maintain that the period 1970-1977 represented some kind of golden age of F1 racing.  However, I acknowledge the merits and appeal of the ground effects and turbo eras which were being ushered in as the teams raced at Monaco in '78. 

So, to the race itself.  New talent was emerging and making its mark, in the form of Gilles Villeneuve,Patrick Tambay, Didier Pironi and Riccardo Patrese.  In the early stages of the race, the Williams of Alan Jones was quite prominent, symptomatic of the continuing rise of Frank's team.

The pole man was Carlos Reutemann in the gorgeous Ferrari 312T3, arguably one of the best looking F1 cars of its era. However, the grid was extremely competitive, with no one team or car/driver combination enjoying any discernible margin of superiority.  This was all to change at the next race in Belgium, when Colin Chapman's latest creation shook the status quo to its foundations.

The pattern of the race was influenced to some degree, as ever at Monaco, by the start.  Lauda and Reutemann clashed, and the Argentine driver had to pit with a damaged rear aerofoil. Caught up in all this was James Hunt, who brushed the barrier whilst taking evasive action.  One of the curious things about Hunt's F1 career was his relative lack of prowess and success on street circuits, although the failures were not always attributable to him.

John Watson took the lead at the start, and had the race under some kind of control, exhibiting his flair and fluency.  Alas, he was not to prevail this time, and as in so many races in 1977/78, he was denied victory. The Brabhams were pointedly competitive at this event, all this before the introduction of the notorious "fan car".

Watching the race in full, I was reminded how people's perception of Formula 1 has been affected by the role of television.  There is a tendency to lionise and wax lyrical about "the good old days", but much of this thinking is based on snippets of footage and brief highlights, in the days before widespread live TV coverage. There were lengthy "fallow", uneventful and even tedious phases in races in those days, and Monaco '78 was not a lights to flag thriller itself. Contrary to what some people might have you believe, processions are not a recent innovation....

The two Brabhams and Patrick Depailler's Tyrrell were clearly superior, and forged ahead into a race of their own, providing an absorbing three-way tussle.  Depailler constantly harried Watson, and the Frenchman drove with elan and panache, but also control and discipline.  The Brabhams may have been adversely affected by the weight and thirstiness of the Alfa engine, whereas the Tyrrell was more nimble and forgiving.

Eventually, Watson stumbled at the chicane after the tunnel, and Lauda was forced to pit for new tyres, leaving Depailler to proceed in relative comfort towards his maiden triumph. Lauda's difficulties were the springboard for a spirited recovery drive, with the Austrian's car assuming some very unorthodox angles, perhaps one of the least "Lauda-esque" displays of his entire career. His audacious manoeuvre to pass Jody Scheckter in front of the pits was especially impressive.

In the end, though, it was Depailler's day, and few would have begrudged him his moment of glory. This was a fully merited victory, although as it transpired the Tyrrell team was unable to build on it to any meaningful extent.

Watching the race was a very useful and enjoyable exercise, providing a snapshot of a time of change in Grand Prix racing.

Gilles Villeneuve

Increasingly these days, I blanch at the idea of having "heroes", putting people on pedestals, or relying on one person or interest for my emotional sustenance. Hero worship, or other related obsessions, have been consigned to my past. More often than, they prove corrosive or counter-productive.

There was a time, however, when I, like other confused, insecure and impressionable kids, craved someone to look up to, to relate to, to believe in.  One of the first people to fulfil this role for me was the racing driver Gilles Villeneuve.

As is often the way with these things, it happened almost randomly.  I had been aware of motor racing before, but it had shimmered in and out of my consciousness. Then, one soporific Sunday afternoon in 1981, our TV became tuned to coverage of the Monaco Grand Prix. I did not recognise most of the drivers' names, and the technical ins-and-outs were beyond my ken, but the one thing which did capture my imagination was the driving of the number 27 Ferrari.

At the next race, at Jarama, Gilles won again, this time leading home a baying pack of pursuing cars.  I had found my new hero.  Then it struck me that this was the same guy who had performed those heroics in Holland back in '79.

Looking back, a combination of factors drew me to Gilles.  His unquenchable spirit, humility and underdog status were part of the appeal.  Also, at the time, I was going through a dark and bewildering time in my own young life, and Gilles represented something pure, heroic and optimistic to hold on to.

Of course, I naively expected the run of successes to continue. Ignorant of the vagaries of racing, little did I know that circumstances and the hand of fortune had contributed to the back-to-back victories.  My mind was ill-equipped to cope with the reversals and mishaps which followed during the remainder of the 1981 season.  I was dispirited particularly by his trip up the escape road in Austria, whilst being challenged for the lead.

Like many a callow youth, I learned through disappointment that my new hero was not infallible, but was human like the rest of us. Once I had readjusted my outlook, this made me appreciate Gilles' qualities even more.

The auguries for the 1982 season were good for Ferrari and Gilles, and strong showing in Brazil and Long Beach seemed to back up this optimism.  I recall being unhappy with events at Imola, but was largely oblivious to the political background, and the alleged duplicity of Didier Pironi.  There was still everything to play for....

On 8 May 1982, I had been out with friends, and returned home in the late afternoon.  As soon as I had entered the house, my mother informed me that there had been a serious accident during practice at Zolder.  It soon became clear that Gilles was involved.  I watched the footage on the television news, hoping that this was all a bad dream.

That evening, as the sun began to go down, I vividly remember walking to the bottom of our driveway, with tears in my eyes, and just staring into space for many minutes. 

Since that day, I have respected many people in many fields of endeavour, but rarely have I allowed myself to idolize them as I did with Gilles for that eleven of twelve month period.

Senna - DVD review

For various reasons, and much to my chagrin, I did not get around to seeing Senna at the time of its release in the cinemas. However this documentary film has now been released on DVD, and these are my thoughts.

I approached the viewing with mild trepidation, having heard and read the praise lavished on the movie since it came out, and worried whether the reality would live up to the hype. Also, I had seen several other Senna-related documentaries over the years, and wondered if this one would just re-hash and repackage the material from previous efforts.

My concerns, I am happy to report, were largely misplaced. I found Senna to be a beautifully produced film, meticulously researched and well-balanced.

I would not describe it as a definitive documentary about Senna's racing career. Little effort is made to examine the technical aspects of racing, and some portions of Ayrton's exploits are afforded scant coverage. Rather, it is primarily a human story, possibly aimed at the layman or casual fan rather than the racing "anorak". Having said that, there is plenty here for any Formula 1 enthusiast to relish.

Particularly impressive is the amount of rare archive material which has been uncovered for this film. It was not just a case of showing the same old familiar footage. Some of the material from the Brazilian media was particularly revealing.

Thankfully, the producers resisted the temptation to employ "talking heads", in the form of journalists and racing people, to tell much of the story.  Any such analysis, supplied by a select few observers, was in audio form only, accompanied by pictures, and was used largely to add context to the narrative. These contributions, together with the striking footage, and the words of Senna himself, served to drive things forward admirably.

Instead of being a dry, chronological account of Senna's achievements in the sport, the film concentrates on several of the pivotal periods and races in his time in F1. From Monaco in 1988, which many regard as a watershed, because of his otherworldly qualifying performance and unforced error whilst leading the race, to the Japanese Grand Prix of the same year, when he clinched his first title, and other episodes.

Naturally, a sizeable proportion of the movie is taken up by the tumultuous years of the Senna/Prost rivalry, from the relatively cordial, but still tense, days of 1988, to the outright animosity of 1989/90. Although Senna's side of the story is told, the film is quite even-handed and non-partisan.

Perhaps the passing of time has enabled some observers to be more dispassionate and candid about the events of that era, and this seems to emerge in the film. The sourcing of commentaries from various countries (UK, Brazil, USA etc) also helps to instill a sense of balance.

Some of the most illuminating passages of the film are the clips from drivers' briefings, and Senna's interactions with his fellow drivers and officialdom.  The tension evident in those meetings is palpable, particularly in Japan in 1990. Senna's increasing concern about safety matters is also clear, from 1990 onwards.

I would not go so far as to say that this is a "warts and all" documentary, but neither is it a deferential whitewash. For example, the infamous interview with Jackie Stewart is given an airing, as are the criticisms by the likes of Alain Prost.

The sections dealing with racing are interspersed with home and family footage, and some effort is made to assess Senna's social impact in his home country. I think the film-makers pitched this side of things just about right.

In addressing the traumatic events of Imola in 1994, the film does not try to be wise after the event, and allows the pictures and words to tell the sad story. The aftermath of Imola is dealt with beautifully;moving but not maudlin.

As mentioned before, the film does not attempt to be an exhaustive chronicle, but I was surprised that scant mention was made of Senna's relationship with Gerhard Berger, and that Ayrton's exploits in the junior formulae, and especially his Formula 3 rivalry with Martin Brundle, were largely ignored. Admittedly, these are minor complaints, in view of the time constraints.

One very nice touch was seen at the end of the film, when the story came full circle, and we returned to Senna's karting days, before politics, money and pressure held sway.

For me, Senna was definitely worth the wait. An endearing and compelling portrait of a complex man and his remarkable, if tragically short, life.