What might have been: Penske, Watson, and F1's great lost opportunity
Fifty years on, Matt Bishop revisits the summer of 1976 when Roger Penske and John Watson briefly threatened to upend Formula 1's established order - before Penske walked away
Recently a host of ex- and current racing drivers gathered for their yearly Christmas lunch. Around the table sat Damon Hill, Perry McCarthy, Jonathan Palmer, Martin Brundle, Steve Soper, Derek Warwick, Mark Blundell, Jason Plato, Martin Donnelly, Johnny Herbert and Julian Bailey.
Typically of Motor Sport, work stopped and we starting listing well-known facts about the group. Simon Arron then joined in and we starting listing less well-known facts. Can you answer the following?
1) How many Grand Prix wins are there?
2) How many FIA Formula 3000 wins are there?
3) Which person raced a Fiat X19?
4) How many Formula Ford Festival winners are there?
5) How many former presidents of the BRDC are there?
6) Name as many team-mate pairings from those around the table.
7) How many Le Mans wins are there?
8) How many have appeared on the Motor Sport podcasts?
9) How many British Touring Car Championship wins are there?
10) Whose first car race was in a FF2000?
11) Name the driver in car 42 below. For a bonus point, name the race.
12) Name the driver and circuit…
13) Name the driver in the photo below.
By way of a prize we’ll select a winner from the correct entries in the comments below and they will receive a 2017 Motor Sport calendar and a 1970s In Focus bookazine worth £35. The winner will be chosen tomorrow (Thursday 22 December) and will be the person who has displayed the most useless detail in their answers (Simon Arron – you are not allowed to enter). Terms and conditions apply.
Fifty years on, Matt Bishop revisits the summer of 1976 when Roger Penske and John Watson briefly threatened to upend Formula 1's established order - before Penske walked away
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