What a weekend we have in store. The Indianapolis 500 and the Grand Prix of Monaco. I do like the month of May.
So much is good about both Indy and Monaco. So much of these two events is what motor racing is all about. And yet they could hardly be more different. A high-speed oval and the narrow streets of the Principality. Both a feast for the eyes and ears.
I first went to Monte Carlo in 1974 and was instantly hooked. This race is pretty good on TV but, boy, it is absolutely intoxicating in real life. If you can describe Monte Carlo as real life. My Monaco baptism involved making a short film for ITN about the Hesketh team for whom one J Hunt was driving. Both he and the team were big news back then. Teddy bears, champagne, yachts, glamorous people and a large aristocrat paying the bills. Some of the events of that weekend are not for a family website. Let us just say that both JH and His Lordship knew how to enjoy their Grand Prix racing. Those were the days.
1975 Dutch Grand Prix, Zandvoort, Holland. James Hunt with Lord Alexander Hesketh, Anthony (Bubbles) Horsley and Harvey Postlethwaite.
I travelled to the race in the Hesketh transporter. I mention this because we got involved in a race with the Lotus truck on the final leg from Lyon to the coast. In those days the main paddock was across the harbour from the pits and it was important for the truckies to get the best possible parking slot. So there we were, two abreast on the motorway, the trucks on the limit of their limiters. Now the truckies fly to the races because of something to do with the European ‘working time directive’.
The thing about the Grand Prix of Monaco is that it IS spectacular, it IS theatrical, and it IS an unforgettable assault on the senses. The noise, as the cars rush between the buildings, is spine-chilling. The rush of colours, as the cars hurtle between the barriers, is simply breathtaking. And the judgement, the skill of the top drivers, has to be seen at close quarters to be believed. Back then you could walk the circuit, stand against the barriers, hear the squeak of tyres kissing the armco. And the tunnel was dark, very dark, the scream of the engines like monsters trapped in a cave.
If you haven’t been to this race, you have to go. Despite the changes to the circuit, and all the new buildings, it is still one of the greatest moments in sport.
And I believe the same can be said for the Indianapolis 500.
My introduction to the Brickyard came in 1993 following an invitation to study Mr Nigel Mansell and the Newman-Haas team as they went about their business. Not an invitation to be refused. You will recall that Mansell went to Indy as the reigning F1 World Champion and some of the good old boys were out to show him what was what when it came to motoring in close company at over 200mph. Indy is not for the faint-hearted.
But Mansell damn nearly won it. He was leading when out came the yellows and, listening in on a team headset, I got the impression that he wasn’t at all sure what to do at the restart. Desperate banter ensued between car and pitwall. At the green, he hesitated, and was swallowed up by the more experienced Fittipaldi and Luyendyk. They shot past him, one each side, and the huge crowd went wild.
There was some swearing on the radio. Then, six laps later and within sight of the chequer, he brushed the outside wall. Surely it was all over. No, this was Mansell on heat. There was anger and frustration in the cockpit and afterwards, having come home in third place, he claimed that Fittipaldi and Luyendyk had jumped the restart. ‘Our Nige’ had led 34 of the 200 laps on his first visit to this mighty arena. High drama.
And that’s what both Monaco and Indy are all about. Drama and spectacle. In spades.
Enjoy this month of May in the flatlands of Indiana and on the absurdly glitzy Cote d’Azur. Wonder what the weather has in store…
Yes, May is the month for me. I used to listen to the Indy 500 with my dad on our radio, not knowing that the race was taking place only 4 hours or so away! These days, I take my son to the race and the pre-race ceremonies always get me going. Then the pace laps and the green – and after the field has departed through two and down the backstretch, the appreciative roar of the crowd, excited at the race being started, brings goosebumps every time. And then, it’s the relentless pace of the race for the next three hours. Something that TV has never been able to duplicate. One of these days I’d love to go to Monaco, but for me right now it is all about the Indy 500. Can’t wait for Sunday!
Yup, we’re all looking forward to Sunday, whether we be in Indiana, Monaco or Timbuctoo. It’s a big weekend, big races and hopefully lots of drama.
I will have to watch the Indy 500 on TV and yes, I agree, it does not capture the true excitement of being there amongst that wonderful crowd. But then TV never quite captures the drama of a big sporting event. And next Tuesday we have Manchester United and Barcelona in the UEFA Cup final in Rome. Now that will be a thriller.
Anyway, wherever you are, have a great weekend and may the best man win.
Actually, Alonso won’t win in Monaco, but I hope Button does. Why? Because he’s got the car to show his true ability and the streets of Monte Carlo – where he lives – will perfectly suit that neat and tidy style. I still believe the title will be fought out between him and Vettel. But Mr Hamilton will not agree with me.
RW
Rob,
Appreciated your comment on Alonso.
As for Monaco and Indy, great histories to both events but today, sad to say, it really seems to be the self-absorbed or the inconsequential at the end of May.
I used to love Memorial Day weekend in the US. Monaco on Sunday morning, the Indy 500 in the afternoon, the Coca-Cola 600 and then watching Jag and Nissan, et.al. battle tooth and nail in the IMSA race from Limerock Park. Nirvana for the motor racing fan.
Alas, to my mind, the Indy 500 hasn’t been the Indy 500 since 1996 and “the split” when one man’s ego effectively locked out the best and brightest. Nascar has become nothing but a tedious rolling advert, a marketing exercise targeted at the lowest common denominator, with no innovation and less personality. The days of the Jag and Nissan and Porsche GTP’s have become the stuff of nostalgia forums. IMSA – as it was – is no more, and I fear we are on the cusp of seeing F1 – and with it Monaco – disappear down that same black hole, another victim of out of control ego and out of touch spending.
At least I have my memories…
Fantastic picture from 1975, how much has the world of F1 changed ?? or the world actually, no team outfits and the designer in a rather fetching leather jacket. Great days and i think it’s fair to say that James is still very much missed.
Havin watched Brawn GP totally dominate the Monaco G.P.can anyone explain why so much time and money is being wasted on the totally unwanted KERS systems.Max you have reallychosen a blind alley this time
Just back from horribly early trip to the airport. Good to see all your comments.
KERS? Well, we think the FIA, in patricular Mr Mosley (with his road car hat on)wants F1 racing to be seen to be using “green” technology.The manufacturers, notably BMW, already make use of KERS in their road cars and it is thought that F1 should encompass some supposedly energy-reducing technology.
But, yes, I agree, KERS is not yet a match for a cleverly designed and built BRawn GP car. But then Monaco is a special case because if ever KERS was not going to help, it would be at Monaco. What you need there is handling, downforce and a very good front end.
But well done Brawn I say and I, for one, am delighted to see Jenson showing his talent. OK, he has the best car, but you still have to deliver. He has clearly learnt a HUGE amount about how to win from Ross Brawn who is surely the smartest card in the paddock.
Happily, ferrari and McLaren are making some progress, so things should get more interesting as we proceed through the season.
RW
Jenson’s radio comments after he’s won a race are becoming a highlight of the event for me. Pure joy! I can’t imagine what is going through the mind of his dad after eight years of making up the numbers with modest success. It would be nice to see someone actually challenge him for a win!
I wonder what abilities and lessons Jensen added to his quiver during those years of struggling. He has emerged as quite the complete package hasn’t he? It’s often been said that the very best drivers may never be discovered because they don’t get into the right situation. Thanks to Jensen’s own persistance and Ross Brawn and his team that hasn’t happened to Button and we can all enjoy the result.
Well, one of THE most important things in life is to be in the right place, at the right time. This, as we know, is partly timing and partly luck. Plus not a little perseverance.
It’s all about the timing, and Jenson Button has come under the wing of Ross Brawn at precisely the right moment. And this is some wing to be under………ask Michael Schumacher……..ask Jackie Oliver who considered Brawn to be the brightest, and most capable, spark he ever employed at Arrows.
One thing about Brawn is that people WANT to work for him, they feel motivated, and there is respect for his intellectual prowess.
As Mr Branson has remarked, “I am investing in Ross Brawn, not just in Formula One.” Quite. And here is a man who knows a thing or two about investment. And about timing.
So, it’s great to see that Button has so much support among real enthusiasts. But don’t get too excited, there’s a long way to go, and the big guns will not give up without a huge fight.
Hopefully, when the fat lady sings, we can all rejoice and celebrate a British world champion. I think he would make an excellent champion. Maybe not a few years back, but now Jenson seems a totally new man. Just as he was when he raced for Williams, fresh out of Formula 3, and very, very quick.
What a truly extraordinary season it has been thus far. Just what we needed at a time when the world is facing enormous problems and challenges.
In just over a month’s time Jenson will be at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Go and give him a cheer.
RW
Rob in youe reply to my comments regarding KERS you seem to think that BMW are using this device in their road cars.Having searched the BMW website it is clea that they are using a form of regenerative brking to top up the battery .This system was in use on forklift trucks since the late 1950s.i was employed as a designer on said vehicles at that time so it’s not really new technolgy is it?
Oooops! Um, this is all rather humbling! And I bow to your superior engineering ability and experience!
Fork lift trucks? Strewth, you learn something every day, and long may the process continue. I don’t suppose the men in Munich would be too chuffed to see fork lift trucks and their gleaming machines in the same paragraph……….but so be it.
My information came from reading the BMW Magazine, in which there was an article about how they are using a form of KERS in their new high-performance road cars. Admttedly, it did not go into very much technical detail, but it clearly inferred that the use of KERS on their F1 cars was a good research platform for improving the Bavarian breed. And it was written by one of th senior engineers in Munich.
Anyway, thanks for putting me straight, and – as always – I’m just glad that we can have these debates on the magazine’s web site.
Meanwhile, perhaps I will stick to writing about racing cars and racing drivers. Safer territory for me!
RW