How far could Ayrton Senna have gone?

HOW FAR COULD AYRTON SENNA HAVE GONE?

Ayrton Senna was tragically killed while at the peak of
his illustrious career.

Ask any driver, past or present, team owner or hardcore fan who is the greatest Formula One driver of all time, you would be brave to put money against them saying Ayrton Senna. Since his tragic death at the San Marino Grand Prix on 1 May 1994, the Brazilian has galvanised a legacy that will last forever. 65 pole positions, 41 Grand Prix wins and World Champion in 1988, 1990 and 1991 had already established his ranking as one of the all time greats by the time of his death. But at just 34 years of age, and driving for the Williams team which had won the last two drivers and constructors championships, and also would go on to win three out of the coming four up to the end of 1997, it is feasible that Senna could have added much, much more success to his already superb record.

Granted, Williams started 1994 slowly and Senna experienced difficulties in finding a set up which he was comfortable with at all three races of his cut short season. The off-season banning of electronic aid devices had hampered Williams, but nevertheless Senna had overcome these problems to qualify on pole position in those first three races. Then came lap 7 of the San Marino Grand Prix, when Senna's car slammed into a concrete wall, the Brazilian suffering a fatal skull fracture. His funeral brought Brazil to a stand still, and Formula One's darkest weekend brought a flurry of safety changes for the coming races, with more in store for the 1995 season.

After the trauma of the early season, Damon Hill led Williams'
fightback with vigour. Senna's death badly affected them,
but had that not happened, the team would have had far more
motivation to improve.

But lets take the 1994 season and Williams performance into consideration, the team fought back with development on the troublesome FW16. Moreover, Damon Hill rejuvenated the entire squad by taking the drivers championship right down to the wire in a tense battle with Benetton's Michael Schumacher. Sadly for Hill it was not to be, but Williams won the constructors championship for the third consecutive year. Now, Senna throughout his time Lotus and especially at McLaren was known for his successful collaboration with his mechanics regarding the cars set up and performance, and given time, plus the already effective development undertaken by Williams and Damon Hill, Senna's expertise may have helped Williams claw back their disadvantage even quicker. Before the San Marino Grand Prix, Senna was quoted "We are here at the third round, and our championship starts here. 14 races, not 16." A victory at Imola, with Schumacher following him home in second place being the most likely product, would have already seen the Brazilian take 4 points out of the German's lead in the points, well that would do for a start. After Imola, the next round was Monaco, Senna had won six out of the last seven races held on the streets of the principality, surely the smart money would have been on him adding another to add to his tally.

Another point to take into account is the controversy regarding the Benetton team and Michael Schumacher in 1994, the German's disqualification from the British and Belgian Grands Prix, plus his two race suspension from Italy and Portugal would have certainly helped the Brazilian's cause in his quest for a fourth title. When Schumacher returned for the European Grand Prix, his lead had been reduced to just 1 point. Taking nothing away from Damon Hill who had done a brilliant job in his own right, but Senna was certainly capable of doing this and capitalising on Schumacher's exclusion.

Furthermore, the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix (arguably Damon Hill's finest performance of the year) was one of the wettest Grands Prix ever. However that would not have been a problem for Senna, historically his skill in the wet had been sensational; Monaco 1984, Portugal 1985 and Donington 1993 serve as fine examples. By that stage in the season Williams had caught up to match the performance of the Benetton and as previously mentioned, had they not suffered the agony of losing Senna early in the year, they may have done this sooner. That, coupled with Senna's sublime talent in the wet conditions would have put a great amount of pressure on the 25-year-old Michael Schumacher, which may have been too much for the German to handle at that stage in his still young career. Senna would only have used that to his advantage. In fact all of the above may have been enough to help the Brazilian secure the 1994 title before the final round in Adelaide, but lets say Senna and Schumacher went head to head for the championship with one race to go. In the real world, against Damon Hill, Schumacher showed signs of pressure all weekend, he suffered a heavy crash in Friday's qualifying session. Then on lap 36 came the infamous collision which signalled the conclusion to the 1994 championship, details of this are lengthy but one interesting point is this, can you imagine trying a stunt like that against the no nonsense Brazilian hard man?

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and none of us will ever know exactly how the great man would have fared against Michael Schumacher, but it is great to imagine. Senna certainly had the experience, the talent and would later have the machinery to recover from his terrible start and overhaul Schumacher en route to a fourth World Championship.

With the 1994 championship victory going in Senna's favour, it would have meant the Brazilian was firmly settled in to the Williams team. That would have paved the way for a brighter future. In 1995, the Williams FW17 was the best package on the grid, the team's '95 campaign was hampered by their drivers, Damon Hill and the inexperienced David Coulthard overdriving on more than one occasion, giving away vital championship points to Schumacher and Benetton. But a championship triumph for Senna and Williams in '94 would have resulted in a major confidence boost going into 1995, that would be a great advantage at their disposal. The Brazilian would have undoubtedly being the bookies favourite for the title, and a fifth championship would equal the record of the man whom Senna regarded as his own hero, Juan Manuel Fangio. 1996 was the year that Damon Hill finally achieved his dream of becoming World Champion, again the Williams was the car to beat, the all-conquering Williams FW18 won 12 of the 16 races that season. 1997, and more of the same, Williams Renault again the class of the field. Jacques Villeneuve took the title while Williams took their fifth constructors title in six years. It is safe to assume Senna would have stayed at Williams up to that point, Renault were to pull out of F1 at the end of the 1997 season, which may have been a sign that it was time to move on for the Brazilian, but four seasons at the team could so easily have resulted in four successive drivers championships, bringing his total to seven. Who knows, we may have even become increasingly bored of Senna and Williams domination! Much like the Schumacher and Ferrari combination in the early 2000's.



1995, Williams' FW17 faces tough competition from Schumacher
and Benetton, but still have the best car on the grid. Some poor
performances by the team during pit stops, coupled with unnecessary
mistakes from Hill and Coulthard hinder their chances of glory.

1996, a much improved performance by Damon Hill, added
to the exceptional FW18 chassis helps bring World Championship
glory back to Williams.

1997, Williams again prove to be the team to beat with the
FW19.

There is another interesting factor to contribute to how the remainder of Senna's career would have turned out. The Brazilian believed Ferrari was the soul of Formula 1. Legend has it that Senna had held talks with Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo about a possible move to the Scuderia. According to Ayrton Senna's manager, Julian Jakobi, negotiations were in the works regarding a $22 million a year contract with the famous Italian marque. Jakobi hinted that a planned move would have occured for 1996, though at that time Williams would still have been a dominant force. However, the aforementioned withdrawal of Renault in 1997 could have been the closing chapter of Senna's career with Williams. For 1998, the Brazilian would be reaching 38 years of age and entering the final years of his career, though Senna had always maintained high levels of fitness. Furthermore, Nigel Mansell became champion at 39, so Senna would probably still of had a couple of years left in him. 1998 was also the period when Ferrari were just beginning to emerge as title contenders again, with the partnership of driver, Michael Schumacher and technical director, Ross Brawn. Had Senna joined Ferrari at that time, Ferrari would have had the greatest ever driver in Formula One, with a very strong package to offer.

What better place for Ayrton Senna to end his career than
Ferrari?

Personally, I have no doubt that Ayrton Senna, who was approaching 40, would still have been at the top of his game even at that time. It would have been the perfect place to end his career, and the greatest driver of all time becoming World Champion with most iconic team in Formula One would surely have been a fairytale. Moreover by the time he retired, he would have won more World Championships than anyone else, won more Grands Prix than anyone else, scored more points than anyone else and may have even started more races than anyone else.  

Down to the Wire

CLASSIC LAST RACE DECIDERS

The 2012 World Championship will be decided at the final round in Brazil, but who will it be Sebastian Vettel, or Fernando Alonso. Whatever happens, it looks set to be an enthralling encounter. Here we look back at some of the most memorable title showdown's.

1976

Throughout the first half of 1976, it looked as though reigning World Champion, Niki Lauda would cruise to a second title. That was until the Austrian suffered a terrifying, near fatal, fiery crash at the Nurburgring. His resultant injuries looked set to end his season, if not his career but remarkably he only missed two races. Britain's James Hunt seized the opportunity to close the gap, two crucial victories for the Englishman meant that he was just three points behind Lauda as F1 headed to Japan for the first time.

Heavy rain on race day encouraged talks of abandoning the event but the race did start, to the frustration of some drivers, one of which was Lauda. The Austrian, withdrew from the race after two laps, feeling the conditions were too dangerous for racing. Having narrowly escaped with his life in Germany, he famously quoted "my life is worth more than a title."

Hunt looked set to claim the victory and win it all but the rain stopped towards the end of the race and the track began to dry, Hunt was now suffering problems with his tyres and made a pit stop which dropped him back to fifth, not enough if he was to win the title. So he set off on a charge and in the dying moments of the race, he passed Clay Regazzoni and Alan Jones to claw his way back up to third and become the 1976 World Champion.

1981



Three drivers went into the final round of the 1981 season in Las Vegas with a chance of clinching the championship. Argentine, Carlos Reutemann went into race with a one point lead over the Brazilian, Nelson Piquet. While Jacques Laffite's victory at the previous race in Canada meant that he still had a mathematical chance.

Carlos Reutemann's team mate, 1980 champion Alan Jones was due to retire after the race, and the Australian was not about to help his team mate win the title after a season of conflict between the pair. Jones led away from pole position whilst Reutemann quickly dropped backwards through the field, his gearbox giving him problems. Laffite was running 6th which wasn't enough for the Frenchman. That left, Piquet favourite for the championship but the oppressive conditions left the Brazilian battling severe exhaustion in the cockpit. With Reutemann now down in 8th and out of the points, Piquet bravely soldiered on and finished 5th to win the championship by just one point.

1984



1984 had been a year of McLaren domination, but the two drivers were allowed to fairly battle each other for the World Championship. Alain Prost was clearly the faster of the two, but the experienced two-time champion Niki Lauda relied on superb racecraft and tactics to consistently score points and take any advantage he could when Prost ran into problems. Lauda qualified down in 11th place for the deciding round in Portugal while Prost looked comfortable in 2nd. The Frenchman took control of the race from the front, but Lauda meant business and fought through the field. The Austrian kept his concentration up to avoid overdriving and climbed up to 3rd. With 18 laps remaining, Nigel Mansell suffered brake failure on his Lotus and Lauda was promoted to second and on course for his third title. Lauda could not catch Prost on track, but he didn't need to and promptly turned down his turbo boost to conserve his car. Prost took his seventh win of the year, but Lauda crossed the line in 2nd to win the championship by just half a point, the closest margin in history.

 1986

Perhaps the most exciting Grand Prix season in history, the 1986 championship would be settled at the last race in Adelaide, Australia. Three men were in the running for the coveted prize; Nigel Mansell was the favourite, 6 points ahead of 1985 champion Alain Prost, and 7 ahead of his Williams team mate, double World Champion, Nelson Piquet.

Mansell started on pole position but the Englishman made a poor start and lost the lead to Ayrton Senna, by the end of the lap he had fallen behind Nelson Piquet and Keke Rosberg. A spin from Piquet on lap 23 elevated Mansell to second, but the Brazilian pitted and quickly fought back up the field eventually re-taking Mansell, while Prost was closing on them both. Keke Rosberg's retirement gave the lead to Piquet, Prost overtook Mansell but third place would still be enough to see him become the first British champion for 10 years.

Until on lap 64, Mansell's left rear tyre and his World Championship hopes blew. He avoided hitting anything as he coasted to a halt but his dream was shattered. Fearing a similar failure on Piquet's car, Williams called the Brazilian in for a pit stop, handing the lead to Prost. The Frenchman took the chequered flag, the victory and the 1986 World Championship.



1994

A season marred by tragedy and controversy would conclude with two drivers battling for the championship, Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill. Schumacher had looked unstoppable in the first half of the season, taking 6 wins from the first 7 races. But a two-race suspension for ignoring a black flag at the British Grand Prix, which was won by Hill, allowed the Englishman to close the deficit to the German, with vital wins in Italy and Portugal during Schumacher's absence. A memorable victory in a rain-filled Japanese Grand Prix meant that Hill would take the fight to Australia, Schumacher was on 92 points to Hill's 91.

Schumacher and Hill got ahead of polesitter Nigel Mansell at the start and both quickly pulled away from the rest of the field. The pair were nose-to-tail up to and after their first pit stop, but lap 36 triggered the conclusion to the 1994 World Championship. Schumacher made an error, ran wide and touched the wall, damaging his suspension. Hill, having just negotiated a backmarker and unaware that Schumacher's car was compromised, saw an opportunity to get ahead and the two collided (see main picture above). Schumacher was out instantly, while Hill managed to get back to the pits, sadly for Hill his Williams had not just sustained a punctured tyre but had damaged the front wishbone. Schumacher became Germany's first ever Formula One World Champion in contentious circumstances.

1997

Three years later and Schumacher found himself 1 point ahead of his championship rival going into the last race; this time it was Jacques Villeneuve, the venue was Jerez, Spain.

Qualifying produced an extraordinary result, Villeneuve, Schumacher and the Canadian's team mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen all set the same time, only seperated by the order in which they did so. Thus Villeneuve was on pole, but Schumacher and Frentzen passed him at the start. Frentzen let his team mate by but Schumacher was now 4 seconds ahead. The order was unchanged after the first stops, but by then Villeneuve had closed the gap to the German. Then on lap 48, with Schumacher lapping slower, Villeneuve made his move into the Dry Sac corner. Schumacher saw him coming and turned in on the Williams, hitting him. The Ferrari came off worse as Schumacher slid into the gravel trap and was out of the race. Villeneuve continued but damage to his car eroded his lead. On the final lap, only five seconds covered the top six, Villeneuve still led but the two McLaren's of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard were snapping at his heels. Villeneuve let both McLaren's pass him through the final corners, 4 points for third were enough to give him the 1997 title, as Hakkinen won his first Grand Prix. As for Schumacher, he had not only severely damaged his reputation, but was excluded from the results of the '97 championship.

1998



Following that maiden victory, Mika Hakkinen's career suddenly took off. The speed of the 1998 McLaren was electrifying at the start of the year. Furthermore, Michael Schumacher improved his image as he fought back, despite a slower car, the pressure led to mistakes by Hakkinen and McLaren. An inspired drive by the Finn at the Nurburgring however gave him a 4 point advantage as they went to Japan.

Schumacher took pole position but the first start was aborted due to Jarno Trulli stalling his Prost, as the second formation lap was about to get underway, Schumacher suddenly raised his arm, he had stalled and was sent to the back of the grid. The German vigorously clawed his way back up to third place, just after he passed the wreckage of Toranosuke Takagi's Tyrrell and Esteban Tuero's Minardi, Schumacher's tyre exploded on the start/finish straight. The 1998 World Championship was over, and it was Mika Hakkinen who took the glory.

2007

For the first time in 21 years, three drivers went into the last race of 2007 with a chance of winning the championship. McLaren's rookie sensation had topped the standings since the Spanish Grand Prix in May, and at the penultimate race in China, he had the chance to clinch the crown at his first ever attempt. Instead he opened it right up as the slippery conditions saw him beach his car in the gravel trap on the entrance to the pit lane. Raikkonen won and Hamilton's team mate Fernando Alonso finished second, ensuring a titanic battle would take place in Brazil.

Hamilton still led the table on 107 points, with Alonso on 103 and Raikkonen on 100. The Brit qualified highest of the championship contenders in 2nd place, but Raikkonen and Alonso got ahead of him after the first three corners. Hamilton was eager to get back ahead but he outbraked himself, ran wide and dropped to 8th. It wasn't long before he was back in 6th and in a position to win the title, but then a gearbox glitch caused the McLaren to coast. Somehow, the system reset itself and Hamilton continued but he fallen all the way down to 18th place.

So the order was Felipe Massa leading, from Raikkonen second and Alonso third. That result would mean Alonso would take a third consecutive title. Hamilton was not ready to admit defeat and was sithing his way through the field. After the final round of stops, Raikkonen took the lead from Massa and with Hamilton in 8th, the Finn would become champion. Hamilton took 7th when Jarno Trulli made his final stop, but that was as far as he would go. Raikkonen became the third Finnish champion, after coming close in 2003 and 2005, he had finally achieved it.

2008

12 months after the heartbreak of Brazil '07, Lewis Hamilton again arrived at the final round in Sao Paulo at the top of the standings. This time his rival was Felipe Massa, who had the home advantage, but was 7 points behind the Englishman. 

Massa took pole position and led comfortably after the start was delayed due to rain. Hamilton spent most of the race in 4th position which would be enough to seal the title, but when the rain began to fall again on lap 63, pit stops for intermediate tyres beckoned. Hamilton's new tyres were slow to get up to optimum temperature and with just two laps to go and having already dropped back to 5th, ran wide, he was passed by Sebastian Vettel and sixth place would hand the title to Massa by virtue of more race victories. It looked as though lightning had struck twice and Hamilton had fallen at the final hurdle yet again. But in the last corner of the race, both Vettel and Hamilton overtook a slow Timo Glock, Massa had already crossed the line to win the race, the Ferrari team and the Brazilian crowd were convinced he was the new champion. Until Hamilton came past the chequered flag in 5th place, stealing the crown for himself. It was probably the most nail-biting end to a season.

The many faces of the United States Grand Prix

 

FORMULA ONE'S TRANSATLANTIC ADVENTURES

As Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso saluted the crowd on the podium of the inaugural United States Grand Prix held in Austin, Texas, Formula One had made a successful return to American soil. The Circuit of the Americas is the first purpose built F1 circuit in the US and the new home of the sport in America produced a thrilling race. Furthermore, it can be said it is about time Formula One found its own place in the States, as the race has been nomadic over the course of the sports history.

SEBRING

Australian ace Jack Brabham secured the first of his three
World Championships at Sebring in 1959

The first United States Grand Prix to be included on the official calendar was held at the Sebring International Raceway in Florida, most famous for hosting the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring Sports Car endurance race. In 1959 it was the scene of the championship showdown between Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks. Moss's hopes ended early when the transmission on his Cooper failed. Brooks came home third but this was not enough; Jack Brabham, despite running out of fuel pushed his car past the chequered flag to snatch the title, the first for him, an Australian driver and a rear-engined Formula One car. Another record was written in to the books as New Zealander, Bruce McLaren became the youngest F1 winner at the age 22 years, 104 days. While the race itself at Sebring had been a cracker, commercially it was a disaster and the promoters barely broke even. Moreover, the attendance was mediocre, being half that of the Sebring 12 Hour race, F1 would move on for 1960.

RIVERSIDE

Riverside, California hosted the second US Grand Prix in 1960,
the next year it would be at another venue.

It moved transcontinental to Riverside, California the following year. But the event was no more successful than Sebring had been, with a lack of promotion and a small crowd of 25,000. Stirling Moss put in a flawless performance in a privately entered Lotus, winning the race from pole position, his team mate Innes Ireland followed him home in second. But Formula One was on the hunt for a new home in the US again.

WATKINS GLEN

America's greatest ever racing driver made his debut at America's
most successful F1 venue in 1968

In 1961, Formula One raced for the first time at Watkins Glen in Upstate New York. Third time lucky for the organisers as "The Glen" became one of Formula One's most popular venues on the calendar. Watkins Glen was chosen after plans to host the event at the Daytona International Speedway fell through. In stark contrast to Sebring and Riverside, the Grand Prix was well attended with a crowd of 60,000 and it resulted in a tidy profit. The Grand Prix Driver's Association awarded Watkins Glen the best organised race of the season in 1965, 1970 and 1971. The Glen played host to some memorable moments during its reign as the US Grand Prix venue, such as the incredible debut of one Mario Andretti in 1968, the Italian-born American driver qualifying his Lotus on pole position for his first race. But it also brought sadness with the deaths of Francois Cevert in 1973, and Helmuth Koinigg in 1974. Ultimately this drew concerns over safety, and in 1980, Jean-Pierre Jabouille crashed heavily breaking both his legs. That year was the last time that F1 would race at the circuit, a shame for the loyal crowds after 19 years.

LONG BEACH

Long Beach was always a pleasant place for the F1 fraternity,
but in 1984 Indy Cars moved in 

While F1 was still being held at Watkins Glen, a second race in the US arrived on the scene in 1976. Englishman, Chris Pook had the idea that a race through the streets of Long Beach, California would put the town on the map, very astute of him as the plan worked. The United States Grand Prix West as it was known was popular, unlike most American street circuits which will be shown below, Long Beach was not built on the grid system, meaning the circuit was not a constant stream of 90-degree turns, this allowed for a flowing circuit producing good racing. Historic moments at the circuit included Mario Andretti's first F1 victory in the US in 1977, the first ever victory for Nelson Piquet in 1980, Niki Lauda's win in 1982 just three races after his comeback and the most spectacular of all, John Watson's sensational drive from 22nd on the grid to win the race in 1983. The latter was the final time Long Beach would play host to a Formula One event, as the circuit became part of the Indy Car World Series in 1984. 

 LAS VEGAS

Alan Jones leads the field en route to his final Grand Prix
victory in Las Vegas in 1981

After the demise of Watkins Glen, Formula One went from the sublime to the ridiculous in 1981. Caesars Palace car park hosted the final round of the season in '81 and '82. The glitz and glamour of Las Vegas was seen as a perfect opportunity for F1, though some cynics claimed it was a great publicity stunt to rid the city its image of Mafia connections. The pit lane was very small with no garage facilities, though the track surface drew some acclaim for its billiard table like smoothness. But the twisty anti-clockwise circuit played havoc with the driver's necks, furthermore the desert sun of Las Vegas took its toll, not just on the drivers but also the spectators, it was hardly surprising that the event drew the smallest attendances of the year. The Caesars Palace Grand Prix decided the championship in 1981 and 1982. Nelson Piquet infamously overcame exhaustion to clinch the '81 title, while Keke Rosberg drove sensibly in 1982 to win the coveted crown. No-one was sad to see Las Vegas disappear from the calendar.

DETROIT

Detroit was not a favourite amongst the drivers
due to the bumpy surface

In 1982, the United States became the first country to host three Formula One races in one season. Along with Long Beach and Las Vegas, F1 came to the "Motor City" but not without problems, the circuit was not ready by the time the first practice session was due to get underway, which was subsequently postponed. The race itself was memorable for John Watson's charge from 17th on the grid to victory. Other notable Detroit moments include the final victory for Tyrrell in 1983, and Ayrton Senna taking the final victory for the classic Team Lotus in 1987. Detroit was notoriously bumpy, drawing many complaints from drivers and overtaking was nigh on impossible. F1 made its last visit to Detroit in 1988, but the sport was still not finished with American street circuits.

DALLAS

To the delight of F1 drivers, teams and fans,
1984 was the first and last time Dallas hosted a Grand Prix

With the loss of Long Beach, Bernie Ecclestone began searching for another race in America. Even before the demise of the aforementioned Californian venue, a Grand Prix in New York was announced for 1983 but nothing came of it. Ecclestone took the Grand Prix circus south to Dallas for 1984. The July weather in the Texan city was excruciatingly hot, the mercury soaring past 100 degrees. Worse still was the circuit, which was a mess, as the surface broke up, hasty repairs didn't set. Despite talks of a boycott, the race went on with Larry Hagman waving the green flag, many drivers ended the race in the concrete walls. Keke Rosberg soldiered on to win but it was Nigel Mansell's efforts to push his stricken Lotus across the line in the heat which was the main talking point. The dropping of Dallas from the calendar after the farce surprised nobody.
 

PHOENIX

The emergence of Jean Alesi occurred at the extremely bland
Phoenix Street Circuit in 1990

Initially it looked as though Formula One would stay in Detroit beyond 1988, with a Grand Prix in Belle Isle Park but no agreement was made. Laguna Seca was also on the shortlist of candidates but was thought to be too small and remote for F1, pity considering that is a permanent road circuit. So instead, F1 headed to the streets of Phoenix, Arizona in 1989. The first race held there took place in June, a time of year which in Phoenix, as was the case with Dallas, temperatures regularly reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which did not tempt many of the locals out of their air-conditioned homes. To give the organisers credit, there was no problem with the organisation and the track itself was not as bumpy as Detroit, making it more tolerable from a drivers perspective, it was also more open but almost every corner was a right angle bend, providing the circuit with next to no character. For 1990, to avoid the desert heat, the race was moved to March and the opening race of the season, it was in this race that Jean Alesi in an inferior Tyrrell memorably fought with Ayrton Senna for the lead. The final race in Phoenix was in 1991 where only 18,500 spectators attended the event, it is believed that more people attended an ostrich race held in the area on the same day. If that was the case, it was a smart idea not to race in Phoenix again. Why F1 persisted in rotating venues among temporary street circuits, when a demanding 4-mile road course at Road America, Wisconsin would have been a greater spectacle, is a mystery.

INDIANAPOLIS

Indianapolis seemed like a brilliant idea, but the 2005
fiasco is undoubtedly the most infamous moment of F1's time
at the Speedway

After a 9-year absence, Formula One returned to the United States at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The banked final corner and the start-finish straight was used from the 2.5 mile oval while a purpose built in-field section was created for the Formula One cars, although a twisty final sector took some of the shine away from the high speed image. The first race in 2000 was a phenomenal success, drawing a record attendance of over 250,000 fans. 2001 was also notable for being the first international sporting event held in the USA after the September 11 attacks. Indianapolis was no stranger to controversy either, 2002 saw a clumsy, staged attempt at a dead heat by Michael Schumacher, with his team mate Rubens Barrichello pipping him to victory by 0.011 of a second. Then came 2005, and one of the most shocking moments in F1 history. Concerns over the safety of the Michelin tyres led to the teams who used them withdrawing from the race after the formation lap, leaving the six cars who ran Bridgestone tyres to lead a 73 lap procession. The calamity led to questions regarding whether a United States Grand Prix would be held in Indianapolis again, fortunately the 2006 and 2007 races were problem free but expensive fees led to the race been dropped after the latter. Ultimately, Formula One finally returned to the United States in 2012.

 

Sic 58: One Year On

REMEMBERING MARCO SIMONCELLI

On 23 October 2011, the world of MotoGP was in deep mourning, after a horrific crash at the Sepang Circuit, Marco Simoncelli passed away. It was a devastating blow to the Motorcycle racing world both for riders and fans alike as one of the most excitable characters in the sport was gone.

With his eccentric barnet and tall frame he was instantly recognisable in the MotoGP paddock, while on the track he was known for his aggressive riding style. He was no stranger to controversy, indeed his style got him into trouble when incidents happened, the 2011 season saw him caught up in spats with both Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa, but he could not be branded as a "dangerous rider" that easily.

After all, he was the 2008 250cc champion which is no mean feat, two years earlier he was the "Rookie of the Year" in that category. 12 wins, 10 pole positions and 22 podium finishes in just 64 races meant that Marco graduated to MotoGP in 2010 with a CV worthy of a future champion.

Marco Simoncelli, the 2008 250cc World Champion

Another reason not to severely criticise his style was that his debut season in Moto GP saw the Italian deliver a consistent performance, finishing 16 out of 18 races and 8th place in the championship.

But 2011 saw Simoncelli rise up the ranks to be known as "one of the top guys". He took pole position twice and was a threat to the regular front runners throughout his tragically shortened season. His best result came in his penultimate race, 2nd place at Phillip Island. He had another podium finish at Brno, a 3rd place finish was his maiden visit. He remained under contract to the San Carlo Gresini team for 2012 and looked set to build on his performance.

Despite some questionable tactics on the track, 2011 saw Marco
climb up the ranking in Moto GP

But then came Malaysia and what sadly would be Simoncelli's final race. On lap two, whilst running 4th, Simoncelli was exiting turn 11 when the bike began to slide, the Italian corrected this but his bike then swerved into the path of Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi. Marco was struck in the head by Edwards' bike with such force that his helmet came off, Simoncelli shockingly lay unconcious in the middle of the track as the race was stopped. At the medical centre, he was said to have sustained "very serious trauma to the head, to the neck and the chest". Upon hearing the news that Simoncelli had died, the race was abandoned.

Marco Simoncelli (with a towel over his head) prepares for what would
tragically prove to be his last ever race

At the final round of the MotoGP World Championship in Valencia, Italian veteran Loris Capirossi raced with Simoncelli's number 58, while Marco's friend and mentor Valentino Rossi wore a helmet in tribute to his compatriot. His vacancy in the San Carlo Gresini team was filled by Alvaro Bautista, and the team raced for the first half of the season in black livery as a mark of respect. The Misano World Circuit, located near Marco Simoncelli's place of birth has been renamed to commemorate him.

Marco Simoncelli is gone from the MotoGP circuit, but he will never leave MotoGP memory.

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes

WHAT WILL THE FUTURE BRING?

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will be team mates in 2013



The news that Lewis Hamilton will move to Mercedes for 2013 came to many as a surprise. The 2008 World Champion choosing to sever his ties with the team of which he has been connected to since he was 13 years old. Differing views on the matter are; brave, stupid or smart. On the one hand it could lead to slump in his career, if not decline, while on the other hand it could mark a return to championship glory.

Logically, moving from McLaren to Mercedes would be a mistake. Granted, the team in its previous incarnation, Brawn GP, won the constructors and drivers championship with Hamilton's current team mate, Jenson Button in 2009. And yes, this is more recent than Hamilton's championship year, furthermore the last time McLaren won the constructor's championship was in 1998. But since the German manufacturer returned as a works Formula One team in 2010, they have won only one race in China this year. Lewis Hamilton has won 20 races for McLaren since making his debut in 2007.

Hamilton and McLaren = World Champions.
Since 2008, their fortunes have faded

But since his success in 2008, the Hamilton and McLaren marriage had been slowly heading for divorce and the signs were ever present. Although the 2012 car started the season as the fastest, and has been the class of the field in recent races, McLaren have not produced a car that has been as competitive as it was in '08. 2009 was a difficult season for Hamilton, starting the season with a slow car that was not a winner, after being caught providing misleading information to the stewards in the first race of the season in Australia, he was disqualified from his third place finish. His race engineer, Dave Ryan was sacked, and Ron Dennis stepped down as the team principal. A barren spell followed, with the champion trailing round towards the back of the field. Competent development allowed Hamilton to return to the front and he won in Hungary and Singapore, by the end of the season he had fought back to fifth in the championship but it had been a forgettable season.

2010 saw Hamilton back in championship contention but the McLaren was not as quick as the Red Bull and if the Milton Keynes based team had endured stronger reliability and better luck, its feasible that the championship would not have gone down to the wire given the pace of their car. Furthermore, towards the end of the season, the McLaren had fallen behind the Ferrari in terms of speed. And two consecutive collisions in Italy and Singapore further decreased Hamilton's chances. The Englishman finished fourth in the standings.

2011 was the worst yet, this time it was more the fault of himself rather than McLaren, though the Woking based squad again could not produce a car that matched the Red Bull for pace. There was even rumours circulating about a move to Red Bull. Hamilton took three victories, all of them great in themselves, but all too often, Hamilton was not driving with his head. His attitude was also up for debate, with the former champion seemingly unable to ever admit blame for any incident he was involved in. Silly manoeuvres in Monaco and Singapore cost him valuable time, while over aggressive driving in Canada and Belgium caused him to retire from both races. For the first time in his career, he has was outscored by his team mate.

The 2012 season has been a case of McLaren's mistakes costing him, to be fair to Lewis his driving has been much better this year. Some poor pit stops early in the season cost him points, then in Spain the team stupidly under-fuelled his car in qualifying meaning he failed to return to the pits after setting the fastest time, thus breaking the regulations and relegating him to the back of the grid, costing him a potential win. A gearbox failure in Singapore meant another possible victory was lost. In Belgium, he upset the team by revealing their telemetry via Twitter, prompting further speculation that the partnership was coming to an end.

But what else is there to this? Money has been cited as the reason, Hamilton's marketing appeal is something Mercedes would welcome greatly. But Ross Brawn has stated that his offer was no more than an offer that McLaren were making for a contract extension. Though Lewis Hamilton does fit the profile of a man motivated by money. Mercedes can certainly afford to pay a huge salary. There is also the chance that Hamilton could weld the team around himself, something that Michael Schumacher did with Benetton and Ferrari, while Ross Brawn was in the team. Mercedes also designed their 2012 car around Schumacher. Both Hamilton and Mercedes have said that this will not be the case, but it would hardly be a surprise. It is certainly more possible to do this at Mercedes, McLaren have never really done this with any driver.

Mercedes have had only one race win since their return
to F1 in 2010

If we were to call Mercedes a lesser team than McLaren, which the results over the last three years suggest they are. History has told us that a world champion moving from a team where he has enjoyed a close and lengthy association to a team for a "new challenge" has not been a successful move. Emerson Fittipaldi moved from McLaren to his family run Copersucar team in 1976, the double world champion would never win a Grand Prix again and four years later retired from the sport. Niki Lauda left Ferrari after winning his second world championship with the Scuderia in 1977. A disappointing two seasons with Brabham followed while Ferrari took the title in 1979. Jacques Villeneuve left Williams to join the fledgling BAR squad for 1999, run by his manager Craig Pollock. 5 years with the team resulted in just two podium finishes, the 1997 champion also ended 1999 without a single point. The only concession to this is of course, Michael Schumacher who left Benetton and joined Ferrari in 1996. The combination started slowly but turned into championship winning material. 10 years later, Ferrari had won five driver's championships and six constructor's championships with Schumacher in the team. There is no guarantee that Hamilton and Mercedes will not be a championship winning combination.

One interesting point is that this is a good move for his own development, not just as a racing driver but also as a person. Some will say he still has a lot of growing up to do. Leaving McLaren will be much like finally leaving home. McLaren have supported him since he was a young karter. Perhaps it is now time to prove that he can make it on his own. Whether he wins races with Mercedes or not, this move will make Lewis a stronger and more mature driver. We already know he is a fast driver with incredible talent, so no harm will be done there, he will be praised for any success and it will be deserved. However, should he fail, and McLaren head for long-term success with his replacement, the bright young star, Sergio Perez. Hamilton will have no-one to blame but himself.

The best of Michael Schumacher

THE BEST OF MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

Love him, or loathe him, Michael Schumacher is the most decorated Formula One driver of all time. 7 World Championships and 91 victories, almost the equivalent of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna combined. He's qualified on pole positions than anyone else, recorded more fastest laps than anyone else and scored more points than anyone else. Michael Schumacher's Formula One career will draw to a close at the end of the 2012 season after 21 years and 308 Grands Prix. Here are some of his most successful and extraodinary moments.

 1991 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

Michael Schumacher's F1 debut came at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1991. Jordan driver, Bertrand Gachot had been jailed for assaulting a London Taxi driver and Eddie Jordan was left searching for a replacement, but he also needed money. Schumacher was an up-and-coming talent in the World Sportscar Championship, but Eddie Jordan's reasoning for selecting Schumacher over Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger, along with his friend Stefan Johansson, was that he was the only one who could pay enough money, Schumacher paid $150,000 for his first F1 drive.

Nonetheless, it was criminal to say that Schumacher was merely a a typical 1990's pay driver. After a test session at Silverstone, Schumacher went to Spa and the Belgian Grand Prix, where he qualified an incredible 8th fastest. This became 7th on the grid when Riccardo Patrese was relegated 17th after a gearbox irregularity. Sadly, Schumacher burnt the clutch out at the start and retired on the first lap, but he had already made an impression on the F1 scene.

1992 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

After that sole outing for Jordan, Schumacher was recruited by the Benetton team. In 1992, his first full season of Grand Prix racing, he finished on the podium 8 times and came 3rd in the final standings. At the Belgian Grand Prix, a year after his debut race, Schumacher displayed his amazing talent in the rain and clever tactical thinking. He timed his tyre changes to perfection in the changeable weather conditions on his way to his first career victory. It would prove to be the first of many.

1994 SPANISH GRAND PRIX



1994 saw Schumacher win the first four races, but the fifth round in Spain was the scene of a truly outstanding performance by the German. After leading the race from pole position, a transmission problem left him stuck in fifth gear but he still carried on for the remainder of the race, changing his driving style in the process and even managing to make a pit stop, despite his gearbox problem he managed to leave in fifth gear. Remarkably, his pace was not drastically slower than that of race leader and eventual winner, Damon Hill. Schumacher finished in second place, 24 seconds behind Hill. The German would go on to win the championship by 1 point from Hill in controversial circumstances.

1995 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

In 1995, Schumacher's rivalry with Damon Hill continued. But it was the German who once again came out on top. At the Belgian Grand Prix, Schumacher started a lowly 16th but quickly rose up through the field, by lap 16 he was leading as he had not yet made a pit stop. He stayed out on the track depsite a rain shower and although he was lapping slower than Damon Hill he was able to keep him behind, until a mistake let the Englishman through. Then the weather changed in favour of slicks again and Schumacher regained the lead. A well timed pit stop when the rain returned meant that Schumacher stayed at the front and he took a sensational win.

1996 SPANISH GRAND PRIX

Schumacher joined Ferrari in 1996. The car was not Ferrari's greatest ever, but Schumacher still managed three victories. His first arrived at the seventh race of the season, the Spanish Grand Prix. Torrential rain failed to hamper the German, who after a poor start from third fought his way back up to the lead by lap 13 and dominated proceedings from there. It was a prime example of why he carried the nickname of "The Rainmaster". He won by over 45 seconds from Jean Alesi's Benetton and Jacques Villeneuve's Williams.

1997 MONACO GRAND PRIX

The arrival of Ross Brawn in 1997 saw Ferrari challenge for the World Championship. Ferrari were not quite as quick as Williams, but Schumacher used his talent to fight Jacques Villeneuve for the title. The German's first win of the year came at Monaco, not for the first time in his career he produced a stunning display in wet weather. Running an intermediate set up, Schumacher took the lead at the start and had a 6 second lead after just 1 lap. He extended his lead to 15 seconds at the end of lap 3 and then to a phenomenal 22 seconds by the end of lap 5! He won by over 50 seconds from Rubens Barrichello's Stewart in 2nd and his Ferrari team mate Eddie Irvine 3rd.

1998 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

Schumacher was disqualified from the 1997 World Driver's Championship standings after he deliberately crashed into his title rival Jacques Villeneuve in the infamous showdown in Jerez. Thus he entered 1998 with severely tarnished repuatation.

However, he quickly redeemed himself with some brilliant drives and once again challenged for the championship, even though his Ferrari was still not the quickest car on the grid. At Hungary, a track where the two McLaren's were feared to be unbeatable, Schumacher and Ross Brawn's tactical collaboration reigned supreme. The German pitted early on a 3-stop strategy, but then produced a succession of fastest laps to leap frog the McLaren's who were running a more conventional 2-stopper. A gearbox problem for championship leader, Mika Hakkinen in the closing stages allowed Schumacher to close the gap further in the standings after the German notched up his fifth win of the season, and without a doubt one of his most memorable.

1999 MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX



At Silverstone in 1999, Schumacher broke his leg in a crash and was out for the following six races. His championship battle was over.

Schumacer returned at the Malaysian Grand Prix and was stunning in qualifying, taking pole position nearly a second from his team mate Eddie Irvine. He would have to play second-fiddle to Irvine in the race as the Ulsterman was in the running for the championship. Irvine said after the race "Michael basically did all the hard work for me. Not only is he the best number one, he's also the best number two". In reality, Schumacher did not want Irvine to win the championship, his ambition when he joined Ferrari was to bring the drivers title back to Maranello, he would not have liked Irvine to do so.

2000 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX

After coming so close in 1997 and 1998, and being the victim of a cruel twist of fate in 1999. Michael Schumacher finally became the first Ferrari driver to win the drivers title since Jody Scheckter in 1979. The Japanese Grand Prix witnessed an incredibly tense duel between the German and the reigning World Champion, Mika Hakkinen. Some incredibly rapid laps before his final pit stop, and the flawless Ferrari pit crew helped Schumacher to beat Hakkinen on his way to victory and his third world title.

2001, 2002, 2003 & 2004 CHAMPIONSHIPS

From the 2001 Australian Grand Prix to 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher had won 39 races, qualified on pole position 31 times, finished on the podium in 54 races and scored 508 points. He had four successive World Championships, taking his total to 7. In 2002, he finished every race of the season on the podium and clinched the championship with six races of the season still to go. In 2004, he won 13 races in a season. For most, the dominance of Schumacher and Ferrari was boring, but for the fanatical tifosi, they loved every minute of it.

2006 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX

The 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix was Michael Schumacher's final Formula One race until his comeback in 2010. A fuel pickup problem in qualifying meant he started 10th and a puncture early in the race dropped him to last. But thereafter he drove the race of his life, carving his way through the field and setting the fastest lap he clawed his way back up to fourth position at the finish. It was performance that summed up his career up to that point.

Justified or a little harsh?

TROUBLESOME TIMES

By now we have become accustomed to hearing that the position of the England manager is the "impossible job". Expectations of the media and public alike enforce emphatic praise when the Three Lions perform well, and then come down on them like a ton of bricks when they play badly.

With Graham Taylor it was more of the latter, his tenure at the helm is best remembered for England's failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, the already intense criticism placed against him beforehand reached fever pitch by the time the result arrived.

The year is 1990, the World Cup in Italy has seen England deliver their best result since they triumphed on home soil in 1966, coming so close in reaching the final. Furthermore the nation has a new hero in Paul Gascoigne and a lot of pride has been restored in English football. But it was also the end of an era, after eight years Bobby Robson departed and headed for the Netherlands to manage PSV Eindhoven. Applicants to succeed Robson included Howard Kendall and Joe Royle, Terry Venables was also reported to show interest. But it was Graham Taylor who accepted the position and was appointed on 23 July.

In 2012, BBC commentator John Motson claimed that he felt that Graham Taylor was "absolutely the right choice", however that view was not shared by many, you could be forgiven for thinking none at all. Taylor had been successful as manager of Watford for 10 years. given the fact he guided them from the Fourth Division up to the First Division in the space of just five years. The 1982-83 season saw the newly promoted Watford finish second in the league and thus win a place in the UEFA Cup where they reached the third round. Taylor also took Watford to the 1984 FA Cup Final where they were beaten 2-0 by Everton. In 1987, Taylor became the manager of Aston Villa and he again led his team to the runners up spot in 1989-90. However, the crucial factor missing, which was no doubt noted by the media, was trophies. This led some to question whether he could win the respect of the players.

Nonetheless, for the first two years of Taylor's time as manager, the results on the scoresheet did not necessarily show that the negativity surrounding his appointment was entirely justified. England suffered just one defeat in that time, a 0-1 loss to Germany at Wembley on 11 September 1991. But his tactics were coming under the scrutiny of the press, furthermore there were questions regarding whether he fundamentally knew what his strongest side was. Following Italia 90; Peter Shilton, Terry Butcher and Bryan Robson had retired from international football and Taylor was struggling in his quest to bring new blood into the squad, he also faced criticism for ignoring some established talents. In 1991, Peter Beardsley played in what would be his last game for England for nearly three years. Chris Waddle would never be selected again after October '91 despite being in the form of his life at Marseille and being voted the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year in 1993 during his time at Sheffield Wednesday.



The selection of Gordon Cowans over
Paul Gascoigne in a Euro qualifier against
the Republic of Ireland was an example of
Taylor's questionable decision making. Taylor
said he feared that Gazza would "lose his head"
in a "bruising encounter".

Qualification for Euro 92 was unconvincing to say the least, the Three Lions were placed in a group containing; the Republic of Ireland, Poland and Turkey. Jack Charlton's Irish side had memorably defeated England at Euro 88 and caused them headaches in the first game of Italia 90, in qualifying for Euro 92 they proved to be just as stubborn. The two games between them ended in 1-1 draws. Both encounters against Turkey saw England win by 1 goal to nil, but their final qualification against Poland on 13 November 1991 would see England only just make it to the finals. England had defeated the Poles 2-0 at Wembley but in Poznan it looked as though England were heading for defeat, Poland were 1-0 ahead until a late equaliser by Gary Lineker spared England's heartache.

In fairness, England could have travelled to Sweden with some pride as they had up to then endured an unbeaten 1992, including a 2-1 win against France who they were scheduled to face in their group. England were also due to play the hosts and Yugolsavia, who were subsequently excluded from the tournament due to the Civil War, Denmark took their place and were England's first opponents.

The squad however was considered weak in comparison to their World Cup side of 1990, though again in Taylor's respect he was unlucky; injury curtailed England's most gifted player, Paul Gascoigne and deprived of them of the talent of John Barnes. Taylor also found himself considerably short of defenders, with Lee Dixon, Rob Jones and Gary Stevens all ruled out. Mark Wright's late injury meant Taylor tried to call up Tony Adams until UEFA intervened stating that it was too late.  In the meantime, the absentees resulted in Taylor taking on Keith Curle, who only had 2 caps to his name, playing out of position at right back for the first game against the Danes. England actually started brightly but failed to take advantage of any opportunities to open the score, David Platt missed a good chance. Denmark quickly began to outplay England and very nearly sneaked a win, John Jensen's shot coming off the post after beating Chris Woods. The otherwise rather drab contest ended at 0-0.



Stuart Pearce was headbutted by
Basile Boli when England played
France

In the next game against France, Taylor decided to dispense with a right back altogether, and brought in a young Alan Shearer to partner Lineker up front, but still England couldn't score, Platt's diving header went inches wide of the post, and Stuart Pearce hit the bar with a free-kick, once the game ended at 0-0.



Gary Lineker's England career ends on a very flat note

The result meant that England had to beat Sweden if they were to advance from the group. After four minutes, England took an early lead when David Platt volleyed in a cross from Gary Lineker, the 1-0 scoreline remained until half time and England in fact wasted chances to extend their lead, Tony Daley missed an opportunity to provide the ball to Gary Lineker in the open after a pass from Platt. The hosts entered the second half with renewed energy and equalised after 51 minutes, thanks to a header from Jan Eriksson. With half an hour remaining, Taylor made the decision which would attract the most criticism placed towards him at that time; substituting Gary Lineker, who was in his final game before international retirement and was 1 goal short of equalling Bobby Charlton's record for the most England goals. Lineker threw off his captain's armband in disgust and the bemused England fans turned on Taylor. To make matters worse, 8 minutes from time, Sweden's Tomas Brolin made mince meat of England's uninspiring midfield comprising of Andy Sinton, Neil Webb and Carlton Palmer, the Parma forward played a one-two with striking partner Martin Dahlin and scored a superb goal to send them through, England's wretched record at the Euro's continued as they exited the tournament.

 

Tomas Brolin scores to send England crashing out of
Euro 92

Taylor was vilified greatly by the media back home, most notably by The Sun which began its "turnip" campaign with the headline: " SWEDES 2 TURNIPS 1".

Some respect was handed to Taylor when he admitted to making mistakes soon after England's elimination from the tournament but ultimately, this was short lived. On 9 September 1992, England were defeated 0-1 by Spain and Taylor was depicted by The Sun as a "Spanish Onion".

Qualification for the 1994 World Cup saw England drawn in a group which featured; the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Turkey and San Marino. Never easy, but England were expected to qualify. Their first game was against Norway on 14 October 1992 at Wembley, David Platt put England in front after 55 minutes after a cross from Stuart Pearce, but Norway, confident following their 2-1 win against the Dutch, equalised through Kjetil Rekdal. The game ended at 1-1 and fans showed their disapproval with chants of "Taylor out!". On 18 November England defeated Turkey 4-0 after a convincing performance, Gascoigne in particular played a strong game, scoring twice. However, Alan Shearer, who had also scored against Turkey, would suffer an injury soon after the game, effectively ending his contribution to England's qualifying campaign. Captain, Stuart Pearce also suffered an injury which kept him out of the squad until the following September.

On 17 February 1993, England played their next World Cup qualifier against minnows San Marino, the first half saw England play poorly, (2-0 up at half time against San Marino is not exactly a difficult feat) and the fans booed the players loudly, John Barnes taking a severe hammering. In the second half, Platt scored his third and fourth goals of the game, with two more goals coming from Carlton Palmer and Les Ferdinand. On 31 March, England defeated Turkey 2-0 in Izmir with goals from Platt and Gascoigne, and then came their first encounter with the Netherlands on 28 April at Wembley. England couldn't have started brighter, John Barnes scored from a free kick and then David Platt gave them a 2-0 lead after 24 minutes. The Dutch were in serious danger of waving goodbye to their hopes of qualifying, following their defeat at the hands of Norway and a draw with the Poles, Dennis Bergkamp pulled a goal back but the Netherlands still looked to be heading for another defeat. England's fortunes took another severe battering though as Paul Gascoigne's cheek bone was shattered by the elbow of Jan Wouters. Then in the dying moments of the game Des Walker, drained of form and suffering a loss of confidence, brought down Marc Overmars in the penalty area, Peter Van Vosset scored from the spot and the game ended 2-2. This game was an example of Taylor's bad luck throughout his time as manager.

England's next game was against Poland on 29 May. Their performance was lacklustre, Poland took the lead after 36 minutes with a goal from Dariusz Adamczuk. On an infamous 1994 documentary covering Taylor's qualifying games, he notoriously exclaimed; "Do I not like that!" as the Polish breakthrough on goal. England substitute, Ian Wright scored an equaliser in the 85th minute to make the final score 1-1, but Taylor faced intense criticism once again. Worse was to come when England faced Norway four days later, Taylor opted to make changes of personnel and tactics, which led to further criticism. In what was a crucial game against a Norwegian side topping the qualifying group and looking strong, Taylor was taking a huge risk. Lee Sharpe and Lee Dixon came on as wing-backs, while Carlton Palmer and Platt occupied the midfield as Paul Ince was suspended. Gascoigne supported Teddy Sheringham and an unfit Les Ferdinand up-front. Des Walker, Tony Adams and Gary Pallister formed a back three. England's qualification hopes took a nosedive as Lars Bohinen and Øyvind Leonhardsen ensured a 2-0 win for the Norwegians, by now the English media were calling for Taylor's head, the defeat spawned the headlines "NORSE MANURE", "OSLO RANS" and "THE END OF THE WORLD".

"We made a complete mess of it. I'm here to be shot at and take the rap. I have no defence for our performance" was what Taylor had to say on reflection, although honest he could not escape the hostility of the press. One week later, morale would sink even lower; England were selected to participate in a four-team tournament in the United States, named the U.S. Cup. Prior to their game against the U.S. Taylor said to the press; "In football, you're only as good as your last game, and at the moment we're poor. You can always lose any game, to anyone. It's how you lose that matters. That was the thing that shocked us all in Norway. We would have been looking for a win here anyhow, but if we'd won last week it wouldn't have been considered essential. Now it is. Whether we like it or not, people expect us to beat America, and there is definitely more intensity about this game because of our performance in the last one".

On 9 June, England were beaten 2-0 by the United States, an experience described as "humiliating" and covered in The Sun as "YANKS 2 PLANKS 0!" Taylor was practically public enemy number one as far as England fans and the media were concerned.

Back to the World Cup qualifiers and Taylor handed the captaincy back to a recovered Stuart Pearce from David Platt. On 8 September, England faced Poland and this time provided promising performance, a 3-0 win delivered Taylor some hope of making it to the United States the following summer. A victory against the Netherlands on 13 October would see the verge of qualifying. The game in Rotterdam was again very closely contested; the Dutch put the English under pressure early on but England responded with a string of counter attacks. Platt headed the ball just wide and Tony Adams had a shot cleared off the line by Erwin Koeman, Tony Dorigo hit the post with a 35-yard free-kick after 25 minutes. Then, two minutes before half-time England were fortunate to have a Frank Rijkaard goal disallowed for offside, even though replays showed that the goal was legitimate.  Their luck ran out later in the second half when David Platt was fouled by Ronald Koeman as he raced in on goal. To the disgust of Taylor, the German referee did not send Koeman him off for a professional foul. The Dutch charged down Dorigo's free-kick, with Dutch players clearly exceeding the limitations of the rules. Just minutes later Koeman took an identical free kick outside the England penalty area. His first shot was blocked, but it was ordered to be retaken because Paul Ince was not within the required 10 yards. Koeman scored at the second attempt to give the Dutch the lead. England nearly equalised when Paul Merson hit the post with a free-kick, only for Dennis Bergkamp to extend the Netherlands' lead moments later, despite using his arm to control the ball, for 2–0 win. Taylor was irate on the touchline, berating the officials and referee as the significance of the result sank in.

Taylor vents his anger at the officials as England's hopes of
qualifying for the World Cup are all but over

San Marino's Davide Gualtieri celebrates his goal
after just 8 seconds of play on a dark day for
English football 

17 November 1993, the last day of World Cup Qualification for the UEFA teams, and it was still possible that England could scrape into the World Cup finals; they had to rely on Poland to defeat the Netherlands and put a in a big score against San Marino. Tall order, but in football anything could happen. That statement would prove true in the game, but for the wrong reason. Just 8.3 seconds after kick off, Stuart Pearce underhit a pass back to David Seaman, the ball fell into the path of San Marino striker, Davide Gualtieri and to the disbelief of the English supporters, San Marino found themselves 1-0 ahead, Gualtieri had scored the fastest goal in any World Cup discipline in history, a record which still stands to this day. It took 20 minutes for England to respond, they eventually won the game 7-1 but it was now irrelevant, the news came through that the Netherlands had beaten Poland 3-1 in Poznan. It was now official, England had failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup.



The Sun's front page headline on
Graham Taylor's resignation

On 23 November 1993, Graham Taylor announced his resignation. Upon his departure, he had this to say;  "No one can gauge the depth of my personal disappointment at not qualifying for the World Cup, this is the appropriate course of action in the circumstances. If we didn't qualify, it was always my intention to offer my resignation."

Graham Taylor's three year tenure as England manager has unsurprisingly gone down as a failure, for sure his tactics and team selections were unconvincing and deserving of the criticism he received. But on the otherhand he had cruel look at times, injuries robbed England of a stronger squad at times when it was needed. Taylor at least had the attitude that displayed passion, something not seen by Sven-Goran Eriksson and more recently Fabio Capello and he did look like he had the respect of the players, he also had the decency to honestly reveal his mistakes. To an extent, he was bullied out by the press. Unfortunately for him, the "Turnip" tag and "Do I not like that" are perhaps the two most familiar concepts one thinks of when we reflect on Graham Taylor.