Monaco Magic

THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN

 

By rights, this circuit should have been abandoned long ago, for it fails to meet several demands made of all other circuits by the sport's governing body. Critics feel that racing is impossible and that the drivers are wasting their time taking unnecessary risks. But Monaco is the most glamorous venue in the world for a Grand Prix, and so it's beloved by drivers, celebrities and sponsors alike, which is why it continues, and the small principality has hosted some crazy, but thoroughly memorable races.

1961

Stirling Moss (#20) made mincemeat of the more powerful
Ferrari's at Monaco in 1961.

This was the race where Stirling Moss proved just what a great driver he really was. The underdog in the privateer Lotus, fighting off the pressure to beat the all-conquering works Ferrari's, and the public loved him for it.
 

1970

Jochen Rindt took victory at the 1970 Monaco Grand Prix
after leading just one lap, the last.

After qualifying in a disappointing eighth place, Jochen Rindt was a man on a mission come race day in Monco. With 18 laps to go, the Austrian found himself 2nd, behind the ex World Champion, Jack Brabham. Rindt upped his pace and began to eat in to Brabham's lead, by the final lap he was right on the Australian's tail, but surely the veteran would be able to resist the pressure. But no, in the very last corner of the race, Brabham slid off into the straw bales and Rindt went on to take an astounding victory. Brabham reversed back on to the track to disconsolately claim second position.



1972

Jean Pierre Beltoise took the only win of his career at a
cold, soggy Monaco Grand Prix.

Of course the sun does not always shine, even in Monte Carlo. The 1972 race was testament to that. Jean Pierre Beltoise stormed into the lead from fourth on the grid, guaranteeing himself the only view of the track that was free from spray. The Frenchman held the lead for every single one of the race’s 80 laps. If that wasn't staggering enough, he had Jacky Ickx, a renowned wet-weather expert behind, unable to challenge the BRM ahead. Beltoise soldiered on to win, after 2 hours and 26 minutes, it came as no surprise that the 2 hour race time limit was introduced following this!

1980

Derek Daly finds an alternative way to overtake in Monaco in 1980.

 

 

Even in Monaco, the race for the great prize can carry a big price. The Tyrrell of Derek Daly started from 12th on the grid, but the over-enthusiastic Irishman was too late on his brakes going into the St. Devote corner, striking the Alfa Romeo of Bruno Giacomelli and launching into the air, flying over Alain Prost's McLaren before landing on top of his team mate, Jean-Pierre Jarier. All four drivers were out on the spot, but all of them escaped unhurt. The Williams of Carlos Reutemann went on to win the race.
 

1982

Riccardo Patrese took his first career victory, just, in Monaco in 1982.



 

 

This race has been featured on my blog before, but you can look at it again and again, it will still leave you in a state of belief. The Monaco Grand Prix may be billed as the race that all drivers want to win the most, but that didn't seem to be the case in 1982. René Arnoux's Renault led away from the start and looked comfortable until after 14 laps, he spun out of the race, handing the lead to his team mate, Alain Prost. With three laps of the race to run, it began to rain and Prost crashed into the barriers coming out of the chicane. That left Riccardo Patrese in the lead, but he spun at the Lowes hairpin and stalled, promoting the Ferrari of Didier Pironi to first position. The Frenchman started his last lap, very slowly, the reason being he was running out of fuel. He was unable to make it home and the Ferrari ground to a halt in the tunnel. The lead should have gone to Andrea de Cesaris in the Alfa Romeo, but incredibly he also ran out of fuel. Derek Daly's Williams also could have taken the lead, until his gearbox seized up after the Irishman had clouted the barrier. Unbelievably, Riccardo Patrese found himself back in the lead after bump starting his Brabham on the downhill gradient after the hairpin. Everyone could breathe a sigh of relief that someone had finally seen the chequered flag!
 

1984

The Senna legend started most appropriately at Monaco in 1984.
 







The 1984 Monaco Grand Prix has gone down in history as the race which saw the arrival of Ayrton Senna. In an underpowered Toleman, in torrential rain, Senna stormed through the field up to second position and was closing inexorably on the McLaren of Alain Prost, had the race not been stopped, the Brazilian could very easily have taken his first career victory. However, he also could not have done, Nigel Mansell may have won his first Grand Prix, but he spun his car on a very slippery painted white line, hit the barrier and retired. Stefan Bellof could also have won the race, he was running third and catching both Prost and Senna at the time of the red flag. But it was Prost who did take victory after the race was stopped for good after 31 laps, this was before 75% race distance had been completed and therefore half points were awarded.
 

1988

The unthinkable, Ayrton Senna crashes out of the Monaco Grand Prix
after dominating the entire weekend.



In 1988, the dominance of the McLaren Honda was clear for all to see. And Ayrton Senna was in a class of his own from the start of the first practice session. In qualifying he beat his team mate, Alain Prost, by a scarcely believable, 1.4 seconds. And he was 2.5 seconds ahead of third place Gerhard Berger in the Ferrari. In the race, Prost got a bad start and was overtaken by Berger, that allowed Senna to pull away in the lead, continuing his incredible pace. By the time Prost finally made it past Berger, Senna was 50 seconds ahead. In the closing stages, Senna had been told by the team that he did not need to push so hard any longer. He lost concentration and crashed into the barrier. He was so distressed that he headed for his apartment and hid himself there until hours after the end of the race. This left Prost taking his fourth victory in Monaco.
 

1992

Ayrton Senna holds Nigel Mansell off to win the 1992
Monaco Grand Prix.



 

Just as Ayrton Senna had been so dominant, but failed to win in 1988, exactly the same fate struck Nigel Mansell four years later. Mansell had been untouchable in the first five races of 1992, and arrived in Monaco looking for a sixth consecutive victory and a first in the principality. Everything looked good, until 8 laps from the end, when the Englishman suspected a puncture and made a pit stop. By the time he rejoined the race he had lost the lead to Ayrton Senna, but on fresh rubber he closed fast on the Brazilian. For the final 3 laps, it was a classic duel to the finish line, but Mansell could not find a way past, and Senna took his fifth Monaco Grand Prix win.
 

1996

Olivier Panis took his solitary victory in Monaco in 1996, the
last win for Ligier.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8055781.stm

 

 

One of the most bizarre races in Formula One history, the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix had drama all the way from red lights going out, until the chequered flag was waved. Michael Schumacher in the Ferrari had taken a brilliant pole position, but on a damp track at the start he was passed by Damon Hill. Then incredibly the World Champion crashed out on the very first lap, a very rare sight. But he wasn't the only casualty, no fewer than five drivers failed to complete lap 1. Eddie Irvine in fourth place headed a nine-car queue, and by lap 10, a further four cars dropped out, leaving just 12 runners remaining. Heinz-Harald Frentzen decided he had been behind Irvine for long enough and tried to get a run on the Ulsterman but he hit the back of the Ferrari and had to pit for a new front wing, dropping to last. Irvine continued but his luck ran out as he was pushed out of the way at Lowes hairpin by a hard charging Olivier Panis, the Frenchman having timed the change to dry tyres to perfection.

 

At the front it was looking good for Damon Hill to take his first win in Monaco, but sadly for him it was not to be, his engine failed coming out of the tunnel. Jean Alesi then took the lead, but a suspension problem on his Benetton robbed him of victory. Remarkably, Olivier Panis who had started in 14th place, was leading, but closing on him was David Coulthard in the McLaren, interestingly, the Scotsman had borrowed Michael Schumacher's spare helmet in this race. Behind the leaders, there was more drama, Jacques Villeneuve's race came to an end when he collided with Luca Badoer's slow Forti, and then Eddie Irvine's dramatic race finally came to an end when he spun at the same place as Schumacher had on lap 1, after performing a donut, he was hit by Mika Salo's Tyrrell and the second McLaren of Mika Hakkinen, leaving just 4 cars running. Olivier Panis crossed the line to win ahead of Coulthard and Johnny Herbert in the Sauber. Only 3 cars crossed the line as Heinz-Harald Frentzen chose to come into the pits as he was running last anyway, he was classified 4th, while Salo and Hakkinen were credited with 5th and 6th.

 

2004

Michael Schumacher infamously collided with
Juan Pablo Montoya in the tunnel in 2004. Even stranger,
whilst the safety car was out!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8670233.stm

 

Up until the Monaco Grand Prix in 2004, the season had been all about Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. The German had won the first five races, and indeed he would go on to take another championship, after a record 13 victories. But one race he didn't manage to win was Monaco, and what a farce that was!

 

For a change, neither of the Ferrari's started on the front row. It was the Renault of Jarno Trulli on pole position for the first time in his career, with team mate Fernando Alonso behind. At the start, both Renault's maintained their position but Takuma Sato in the BAR set off like lightning as he climbed from 8th to 4th, but all was not well, smoke was coming from the car. Indeed on lap 3, his engine expired spectacularly creating a giant smoke screen, Giancarlo Fisichella in the Sauber launched off the back of David Coulthard's McLaren and flipped over.

 

Jarno Trulli was flying at the front, but Alonso lost everything when he crashed in the tunnel whilst trying to lap Ralf Schumacher's Williams. The Spaniard clearly furious as second place was gone. The safety car came out and both Trulli and Button made their final stops, giving the lead to Michael Schumacher. But suddenly, the TV camera showed Schumacher coming out of the tunnel in a badly damaged car! He was warming up his tyres and braked, catching out Juan Pablo Montoya who pushed him into the wall, an astonishing collision causing the German his first retirement of the season. The final laps witnessed a close fight between Trulli and Button, both looking for their ever Grand Prix win. It was the Italian who came out on top, taking the only win of his career and thoroughly deserved after a flawless drive.





A Champion and a Gentleman

THE UNDERRATED CHAMPION

 

 

The name Hill is a familiar one when we think of Formula One champions, and there is a fair chance most people will instantly think of Graham Hill. The charismatic double world champion is a legend of the sport and thoroughly deserves his place among the all-time greats. His son Damon went on to become World Champion himself in 1996, a thoroughly deserved achievement, he was also the first son of a champion to win the title. But Damon is not largely remembered as a Formula One great, to some his just the son of Graham, but that is not true, he was a talent in his own right.

 

Damon Hill's rise to the top level of motor sport is notably different to the usual route from karting, up to the junior categories and then to F1. As a child he once described motor sport as "boring adult stuff" as he watched his father's career before his eyes. By the time of his father's tragic death in a plane crash in 1975, the 15-year-old Damon had begun to develop an interest in racing but he preferred two wheels to four. Furthermore, his father's death left his family in drastically reduced circumstances, to support his further education, Hill found work as a labourer on a building site, and as a motorcycle courier.

Damon's father Graham won the World
Championship in 1962 and again in
1968.

Hill then began his motorsport career on motorbikes in 1981, however his mother Bette was concerned about the dangerous nature of motorcycle racing encouraged her son to switch and she sent him to a car racing course in France in 1983. By 1986, after a year racing in Formula Ford he had graduated to the British Formula Three championship, his three seasons in the series concluded with a third place finish in the 1988 championship. Initially he lacked sufficient funding for a drive in Formula 3000, but in 1989 he was given an opportunity to test for the Mooncraft F3000 team, he performed reasonably well and sponsorship liked the Hill name, an offer from Middlebridge racing for 1990 came calling. Hill spent two seasons racing in F3000, where although competitive he never managed to win race. So far the story is a little unspectacular but great things were just around the corner.

In 1991, Hill became a test driver for the Williams Formula One team, and the following year he finally achieved his big break at the age of 31, relatively late for a newcomer. His debut came with the Brabham team, once a championship winning team but now racing in a dire financial situation. Impressively, Hill was able to match is talented team mate Eric van de Poele for pace, but in such an uncompetitive car he only managed to qualify for two races, the first being rather appropriately the British Grand Prix and then the Hungarian Grand Prix, the latter being the last for the Brabham outfit before their collapse, Hill continued to test for Williams for the rest of 1992.

 

An outdated car, coupled with a frankly awful colour scheme,
Damon Hill made his debut at the 1992 British Grand Prix
with the struggling Brabham team, almost unnoticed, he did
manage to bring the car home.

For 1993, Hill found himself promoted to the full time racing position at Williams, following the retirement of '92 champion Nigel Mansell and the intervention of returning 3-time champion of Alain Prost preventing his bitter rival Ayrton Senna from joining the team. Martin Brundle and Mika Hakkinen were also linked to the seat but subsequently it was Hill who was given the nod. His first race for the team in South Africa did not exactly prove a success after a spin at the first corner after moving up to second place, caused him to lose several places, then an over ambitious move by Alessandro Zanardi took both the Italian and Hill out. So that had not gone to plan, but the next two races in Brazil and at Donington Park saw Hill deliver mature performances which paid off with two second places, then another second came in the principality of Monaco before a third in Canada. At the French Grand Prix he took his first career pole position and finished second in the race to his team mate Prost in a one-two finish for Williams.

 

But bad luck struck Hill on a number of occasions throughout 1993, in San Marino and Spain, Hill lost podium finishes with brake failure in the former and engine failure in the latter. Worse was to come at his home Grand Prix at Silverstone when he was robbed of victory with another engine failure, and then at the very next race in Germany the real heartbreak came, a certain victory was lost when a puncture just two laps shy of the chequered flag, handing the win to Prost.

 

Hill's fortunes then changed following that cruel blow, in Hungary he dominated the race from start to finish to take his first career victory after a flawless performance. Damon then followed this up with two more wins in Belgium and Italy, and by doing so helped Williams clinch the constructors championship for the second consecutive year. Another outstanding drive came at the Portuguese Grand Prix where after taking pole position, he stalled before the start of the warm up lap and was sent to the back of the grid, but he stormed through the field to finish third. Hill's first full season of Formula One had been very impressive, some may say because he was driving the best car on the grid, that is true but he had shown he could hold his own at the top level by consistently matching his illustrious team mate, and that is something which marks out a strong season. Hill finished 1993 in third place in the championship with 69 points.

 

Hill takes a well deserved first win at the 1993 Hungarian
Grand Prix

Damon remained with Williams for 1994 and was joined by the legendary three-time World Champion, Ayrton Senna. Hill managed to finish second in the first race in Brazil, but the banning of electronic driver aids made the car a handful, both Hill and Senna struggled with the handling characteristics in the first three races. And then came the San Marino Grand Prix when Senna was tragically killed, Hill now found himself the team leader in the worst possible atmosphere. He was the sole Williams in Monaco as the team chose not to enter a second car as a mark of respect, but for Damon it was a race to forget as he collided with Mika Hakkinen's McLaren at the first corner and retired.

 

A nightmare start for Hill and Williams, but the Spanish Grand Prix was the start of their season. Hill took advantage of runaway championship leader Michael Schumacher's gearbox troubles to take an emotional first victory of the season. Incidentally, his father won in Spain in 1968 for Lotus, which was their first after the death of another legend of the sport, Jim Clark. Hill's new team mate at Williams was the former test driver, David Coulthard, while Nigel Mansell made a return with four guest drives. The 1992 champion earned approximately £900,000 for these races whilst Damon was paid £300,000 for the entire season, which understandably caused a bit of tension between himself and the team, but what Hill was doing on the track was where he was shining.

 

The Englishman climbed back into title contention with a victory at the British Grand Prix, avenging the disappointment of the previous year, a win at his home Grand Prix was something his father never managed to achieve, Hill did the partisan British fans proud. His title rival Schumacher was excluded from that race for overtaking Hill (who was in pole position) on the warm up lap and then proceeding to ignore a black flag, the German would face a two-race ban after the Belgian Grand Prix which Hill was awarded the victory after Schumacher was again disqualified. Hill made the most of the two races in which Schumacher was banned, driving sensibly to take victories in Italy and Portugal and closing the gap on Schumacher to just 1 point in the drivers championship.

 

Schumacher returned at the European Grand Prix in Jerez, he took a crucial victory as Hill was slowed by miscalculations in the fuel strategy. Schumacher suggested that his rival Hill was not a world class driver, but he was forced to eat his words at the next race in Japan. In torrential rain, Schumacher led from the start but Hill managed to leap frog him in the pit stops, the race had been stopped on lap 13 due to several major accidents, and the restarted race would be decided on the aggregate corrected time from the red flag, Schumacher had finished part one with a 6.8 lead. Hill drove out of his skin towards the end of the race and he crossed the line on the track first, everyone was waiting for Schumacher to finish, he did so 10.1 seconds later, meaning Hill was declared the winner by 3.3 seconds and therefore taking the title right down to the wire in Adelaide, Australia.

 

Schumacher was leading the championship on 92 points, but Hill was right behind on 91. Lap 36, Schumacher in the lead of the race went off the track and damaged his car, Hill unsighted after being held up by a back marker saw an opportunity to pass, he went for the gap but Schumacher slammed the door shut and the two collided, the German was out on the spot while Hill retired in the pit lane with terminal suspension damage, the title went to Schumacher. Hill was devastated, had he become champion that year he would not only have been lauded as a hero in Britain but also he would have done it not tremendously difficult circumstances regarding the situation within the team. The way he revitalised the team following the loss of Ayrton Senna, mirrored that of his father 26 years earlier. Nonetheless, Damon had firmly stamped his mark, no-one could deny he was a quality driver by this point. He received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award for his performance throughout the year.

 

 



Hill and Schumacher collide in Adelaide, the Englishman
missed the 1994 title by 1 point.

Hill entered the 1995 season determined to claim the title that he was denied the previous year. But it proved to be a frustrating one for the Englishman. Had he become champion in 1994, it may have been a different story, given the significant confidence boost it would have provided. Instead he overdrove the car numerous times in 1995, while bad luck also denied him any chance of winning the title.

 

At the first race in Brazil, a potential victory was lost following a gearbox failure. But a dominant win in Argentina and another victory in San Marino gave him the championship lead, at that point it looked as if he may go on to achieve his dream but it all went downhill from there. In Spain he dropped from second to fourth at the end with hydraulic problems, while in Monaco his incredible qualifying pace did not translate to race pace as he was beaten by Michael Schumacher. Another gearbox problem ended his race in Canada, while in France it was a repeat of the Monaco Grand Prix. He could not convert pole position into race win, and his Williams pit crew were bettered by the brilliant work of the Benetton team, Schumacher won with Hill second again. Then at the British Grand Prix the same happened again, after the final round of pit stops, Hill, who had led from pole position, found himself behind Schumacher again. At his home Grand Prix he was not about to surrender victory, on lap 45 the Englishman saw a gap and went for the inside line but he wasn't close enough, he collided with the German and both their races were over. Memories of the infamous Adelaide incident were in everyone's mind, but this time Hill had been too exuberant. Things went from bad to worse at the German Grand Prix, and archrival Schumacher's home race. The Englishman was on pole position once more, but after just 1 lap, he spun out of the lead and the race altogether, giving away 10 valuable points to Schumacher.

 

Hill did manage to claw those 10 points back with victory in Hungary as Schumacher retired with fuel pump failure, but in Belgium the German once again gained the upper hand as he charged from 16th on the grid to win the race, Hill coming second again. The Italian Grand Prix saw another legendary Hill-Schumacher collision, whilst both came across Taki Inoue's Footwork, the Japanese got in the way and Hill mis-timed his braking, taking both of them out of the race. In Portugal, it was Hill was caught napping by Schumacher in the closing stages handing second place to his rival and giving away 2 more points. Then at the Nurburgring, the host of the European Grand Prix, Hill spun out of the race with nine laps to go, leading to another retirement, Schumacher's victory meant only a miracle could now prevent him from retaining his crown.

 

By now Hill was facing strong criticism from the British media after poor performances, he was deemed to not be forceful enough in battles with Schumacher. At the Pacific Grand Prix, the German officially became the 1995 champion as Hill came home third after another lacklustre race. The Japanese Grand Prix ended early for Hill when he spun out of the race. Some pride was restored with a victory at the season finale in Australia, but it was small consolation for Hill. Damon would go on to say that 1995 was "Horrible. Except for the birth of my daughter, it was not a good year."

 

Hill wins the 1995 Australian Grand Prix, ending a difficult
season on a high note

So 1995 was a year to forget for Hill, but he could look to 1996 with a clean slate. His new team mate was the young Canadian, reigning Indy Car champion, Jacques Villeneuve. The new boy was determined to take the title fight to Hill in his first season as the new Williams FW18 was by far the most competitve car on the grid. Villeneuve fulfilled his potential in Melbourne by taking pole for his debut race and almost winning, Hill was promoted to the lead when Villeneuve slowed due to fading oil pressure. It may have sounded like Hill was having his work cut out with Villeneuve, but that wasn't really the case, Melbourne was a new venue for F1, meaning no driver had an advantage when it came to experience of the circuit, plus although Villenueve was a rookie in Formula One, he was not exactly a complete novice. Hill answered his critics in Brazil when he dominated a rain-soaked race from pole position, he then repeated this performance at the very next race in Argentina, three wins from three races and a comfortable championship lead, Hill by now was feeling confident of realistic title prospects.

 

Villeneuve won the European Grand Prix but Hill responded with another victory in San Marino. But at Monaco, a race which his father won five times, a victory in the principality once again eluded Damon, he was leading comfortably when his engine blew in the tunnel, a crushing blow for the Englishman. Hill recorded important victories in Canada and France, with Villenueve following him home in both races, Hill had now increased his lead in the championship to 25 points and was looking unstoppable at this point.

 

The British fans would have loved to see nothing other than a Hill victory, in qualifying he delivered as he took his sixth pole position of the season, so far so good. But unfortunately it all came undone in the race, a poor getaway dropped him to 4th place. Whilst fighting back after his pit-stop a problem with a rear wheel nut caused him to spin off and retire. Villeneuve took victory and cut into Hill's points lead. Gerhard Berger's engine failure in the dying moments of the German Grand Prix gave Hill his seventh victory of the season and opened the gap back up to 19 points over his team mate. It was here that Villeneuve's title chase reignited, the Canadian won the Hungarian Grand Prix after a straight fight with Hill, the Englishman then lost valuable points in Belgium after a pit stop blunder. And the Italian Grand Prix sent shivers down the spine of British fans, Hill crashed out of the lead in the early stages of the race, fortunately for him Villeneuve failed to score, but this mistake did nothing to improve his confidence. The Canadian then won the Portuguese Grand Prix ahead of Hill, meaning that the championship went to the last race in Japan. Should Hill fail to score, a win for Villenueve would see him become the first rookie to ever win the title.

 

The Canadian kept his hopes a live and sent a huge psychological blow to Hill by qualifying on pole position by nearly half a second, quite a big difference in F1 terms for cars from the same team. Villenueve had nothing to lose whereas Hill had a whole catalogue of nightmare scenario's playing on his mind. But the Englishman kept his cool, took the lead at the start and kept pushing til the very end. Villeneuve retired when his right rear wheel flew off his car, ending his race and securing the title for Hill. Damon crossed the line to achieve the most coveted prize, and to become the first son of a World Champion to win the title himself. His potential had finally being realised.

 

 

 

A dream come true, Damon Hill celebrates becoming the
1996 Formula One World Champion

Damon had finally won the World Championship, but 1996 would be his last season with Williams, the team had already chosen before the start of the season to not renew his contract, and Heinz-Harald Frentzen replaced him. He was offered drives with Ferrari, McLaren and Benetton as well as options from Jordan and newcomers, Stewart. But Hill felt that none were offering a salary worthy of his World Championship, instead he shocked many fans by signing for Tom Walkinshaw's rebooted Arrows team for 1997. His team mate would be Brazilian, Pedro Diniz, who brought large funding to the team to support Hill's wages. The Englishman was guaranteed number one status in the team but the year was a disaster. He did not even start the first race of the year in Australia after his throttle failed on the warm up lap. It was not until the seventh race of the season in Canada that he finished a Grand Prix, but 9th place brought no points.

 

However his home Grand Prix at Silverstone saw Damon clock the fastest time in the pre-race warm up session, a good morale boost and pleasing the fans. He then finished the race 6th to score his first point for the Arrows team. A good result but it was at Hungary where he showed everyone why he was the reigning World Champion. At this circuit the Bridgestone tyres were more competitive than their rivals Goodyear, Hill used this to qualify a magnificent third on the grid. At the start he moved to second behind his old rival Michael Schumacher and he passed the German on lap 11. After all the horrors of the last races, Hill now was not only leading a race, but convincingly, he would eventually pull out a 35 second lead! Everything looked good for a shocking upset, Hill was just three laps from the finish when his throttle began cutting out, his former team mate Villeneuve was closing fast, on the final lap the Canadian passed Hill in a cruel twist of fate. Hill still recorded a fabulous second place finish and brought his total points haul for the season to 7, it was a true champions performance. Hill unsurprisingly left Arrows at the end of the year and joined Jordan.

 

Hill came so close to scoring a sensational win at the
1997 Hungarian Grand Prix for the uncompetitive
Arrows team

The early part of 1998 was a repeat of the previous year for Hill, as the Jordan was off the pace and unreliable. The highlight for Hill was running in second place when his nemensis Michael Schumacher came up to overtake him, Hill moved across the track, wrongly, three time to defend his position whilst Schumacher eventually did manage to get through, the German accused Hill of dangerous driving, Hill responded to these comments by claiming them "hypocritical", given that Schumacher had blatantly taken Heinz-Harald Frentzen's Williams out of the race, along with the Adelaide 1994 incident, he did have a point. It was at the German Grand Prix where Hill scored his first points of the season with 4th place, he repeated this result at the next race in Hungary. The Belgian Grand Prix proved to be the Jordan's day of days. Hill qualified third and got a poor start, but a major 12 car pile up on the first lap caused the race to be stopped. On the restart, Hill got a much better start and took the lead in the first corner. Michael Schumacher then passed Hill for the lead shortly after, until he rammed the back of David Coulthard's McLaren and retired. Hill was back in front, in the closing laps his team mate, Ralf Schumacher (younger brother of Michael) was eating into Hill's lead, but team orders prevented the German from fighting with Hill, Jordan could not risk throwing away a one-two finish. Hill took his 22nd Grand Prix victory, the first for the Jordan team, it was a remarkable result.

 

Bouncing back, Damon Hill
wins the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix
for Jordan

Hill finished 1998 in sixth place in the final standings with 20 points. Hopes were high for 1999 but by now it was clear that Hill was struggling with the new dynamics of Formula One cars, the four-grooved tyres provided less grip and it was clear that Hill was uncomfortable. He then quickly lost motivation, after crashing out in Canada he decided to retire at the end of the year, but after a miserable race in France, he considered quitting sooner, it was thought that the British Grand Prix would be his last but a strong race and a fifth place finish encouraged him to see out the season. He scored two more sixth places in Hungary and Belgium before bringing the curtain down on his career at the final race in Japan. In fairness, he should have quit at the end of 1998, if you were new to Formula One for 1999 you would look at Hill and not think he was once a World Champion, but then you would be seriously mistaken. He was just in the wrong time.

 

Damon Hill was more than just a lucky driver, making the most of the best car on the grid, there was more to him than just his name. He was a brilliant driver and a very worthy champion, plus a great man to boot. He won 22 races from 115 starts, and anyone who can point to that plus a world title is surely no slouch. He is definitely amongst Formula One's favourite sons.

 

 

It's for the team

PUTTING THE TEAM BEFORE YOURSELF

 

 

 

The Malaysian Grand Prix threw team orders back into public consciousness, World Champion, Sebastian Vettel ignored requests by the Red Bull team to maintain position behind his team mate Mark Webber in the closing stages of the race and proceeded to fight and overtake the Australian and claim victory, much to Webber's chagrin. Meanwhile at Mercedes, Nico Rosberg demanded to be allowed to pass his team mate, Lewis Hamilton and take third place, but this was refused by the team, the German obeyed but felt denied of a podium finish. Controversial, yes, but anything new, certainly not! Here is a look back at other infamous cases of drivers reluctantly complying to their team's orders, or not wanting to harm their pride.

ALAN JONES & CARLOS REUTEMANN- BRAZIL 1981

Carlos Reutemann leads team mate Alan Jones in Rio,
but that should be Jones leads Reutemann

The rain-soaked Brazilian Grand Prix in 1981 saw both Williams drivers running in first and second. But reigning champion and points leader, Alan Jones was behind his team mate Carlos Reutemann on the track, and the team principal Frank Williams wanted the order reversed. Reutemann repeatedly ignored signals from his team to move over, an act of defiance which irrevocably soured relations between the pair, Reutemann would go on to score more points than Jones as the season progressed, but Jones would not forgive the Argentine's disobedience and would offer no help in his quest for the championship, which subsequently went to Brabham driver, Nelson Piquet.

 

GILLES VILLENEUVE & DIDIER PIRONI- SAN MARINO 1982

Didier Pironi takes the chequered flag at Imola, with a furious
Gilles Villeneuve following him home

At the height of conflict between the governing bodies of Formula One, only 14 cars entered the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix, and the two Ferrari drivers were left unchallenged as they headed for what should have been a perfect finish in front of their adoring fans, the tifosi. But Gilles Villeneuve was both stunned, and appalled to see his team mate Didier Pironi showing no regard for his Ferrari team orders and re-passing him on the final lap and take the victory. Villeneuve felt betrayed and vowed never to speak to Pironi again. Tragically, just two weeks later the Canadian, who was still livid with his team mate was killed whilst attempting to beat Pironi in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. Pironi's career also ended when he suffered a serious accident at the German Grand Prix.
 



ALAIN PROST & RENE ARNOUX- FRANCE 1982

Three French drivers on the podium at Paul Ricard, but
even that wasn't the main story regarding the
French Grand Prix



Rene Arnoux led a Renault one-two to victory at the 1982 French Grand Prix. But his team mate, Alain Prost was not impressed at his team mate deciding he’d rather win the race for himself than yield to Prost as per team orders. Their deteriorating relationship divided the world of French motorsport. Arnoux left Renault and joined Ferrari for 1983 but the rivalry between the compatriots never ceased for as long as their careers lasted, not least when Arnoux infamously blocked Prost and cost him any chance of victory in the 1989 Monaco Grand Prix, talk about holding a grudge!
 

MIKA HAKKINEN & DAVID COULTHARD- EUROPE 1997

David Coulthard reluctantly allowed team mate
Mika Hakkinen to pass him in Jerez

The result of the 1997 European Grand Prix has gone down in history as one of the most cynical in Formula One history, both McLaren and Williams were alleged to have fixed the final outcome. As Jacques Villeneuve was cruising home to take the championship, the silver McLaren's were closing fast, but David Coulthard was surprised to be told let Mika Hakkinen through. The Finn then overtook Villeneuve on the last lap and Coulthard followed suit, giving the McLaren team their first one-two for six years and Hakkinen his first career win, while Villeneuve took 3rd for the title. Everyone was happy, except Coulthard who was quietly furious. There was more to come.
 

MIKA HAKKINEN & DAVID COULTHARD- AUSTRALIA 1998

Mika Hakkinen crosses the line to win the
Australian Grand Prix, ahead of team mate David Coulthard

The final race of the 1997 season had brought a controversial result, as did the first race of 1998. McLaren dominated the weekend with both Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard leaving the rest of the field for dead in the race. But then Hakkinen lost the lead when he was mistakenly called into the pits. Coulthard generously gifted Hakkinen his position back and followed him home but the Scot along with his McLaren team came under fire for their actions. Hakkinen would go on to win his first World Championship that year.

 

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER & RUBENS BARRICHELLO- AUSTRIA 2002

Rubens Barrichello sacrifices a well deserved win to let
Michael Schumacher through, creating widespread outrage

At the 2001 Austrian Grand Prix, Rubens Barrichello was not impressed at having to allow Michael Schumacher through on the last lap and take his second place in the interest of the drivers championship. 12 months later, after dominating the race he found himself in the same situation again and this time he had to forfeit a win, was that an order too far?

 



No it wasn't. Barrichello held his position for as long as possible, just letting Schumacher pip him across the line to the utter disgust of millions of fans worldwide. Instead of the crowd applauding the podium ceremony, they booed the most traditional F1 team loudly for their outrageous decision making. At the penultimate race of the season in the USA, attempts to repay the favour were not helped by Schumacher's clumsy attempt to stage a dead heat with his team mate, Barrichello just narrowly edging him out. Ferrari had made a mockery of the sport, which threatened to seriously tarnish it's image. Team orders were banned from 2003.

 

 

Their faces say it all, both Michael Schumacher and
Rubens Barrichello were left embarrassed by the hostile
reception from the crowd, the German handed his trophy to
Barrichello, but the damage was done.

 FERNANDO ALONSO & FELIPE MASSA- GERMANY 2010

Fernando Alonso looks satisfied with victory, which is more
than can be said for team mate Felipe Massa

By 2010, team orders had been banned for seven years. But questions regarding their usage were still being asked, with instructions such as "conserve fuel" being constituted as a team order to prevent inter-team squabbling, nonetheless this was not a major worry, until the incident at the German Grand Prix. Ferrari were beginning to get back into championship contention after a dip in form following Fernando Alonso's victory at the season opener in Bahrain. The Spaniard's team mate Felipe Massa led at Hockenheim from the start but Alonso began to close, soon the former champion was right on his heels. Then the now legendary radio message from Massa's race engineer Rob Smedley came calling, "Okay, Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood that message?" Massa did just that as he slowed to allow Alonso through and claim an important victory in the race for the title. With team orders now illegal, the actions of the famous Italian team once again sparked unanimous criticism. Ferrari were handed a $100,000 fine for breaching the regulations.

 

For 2011 FIA president Jean Todt, who interestingly was the team principal at Ferrari at the time of the Austria 2002 calamity, lifted the ban on team orders.

Getting ready for 2013!

FORMULA ONE IS BACK!!

The winter break is almost over and the eagerly-awaited 2013 Formula One season kicks off on Sunday in Melbourne, Australia. The season has the potential to be another unpredictable classic, and there are some key questions which are waiting to be answered with baited breaths; Can anyone stop Sebastian Vettel taking a fourth title? Can Fernando Alonso capitalise on a phenomenal 2012 and claim the coveted prize? Can Lewis Hamilton stir up a surprise following his move to Mercedes? At this stage it's difficult to call, but there are 22 drivers, including 5 rookies who will fight it out once the red lights go out! Here I'll take a look at them and their prospects for the new season.

SEBASTIAN VETTEL

The three-time world champion starts 2013 with a huge chance of making it four in a row, and he will undoubtedly take some beating. The German has stated that winter testing has been the most inconclusive in history with regards to title favourites, but a driver of his calibre, coupled the might of a new Adrian Newey designed car provides the ingredients for an ultra-strong package. However, Vettel found 2012 a struggle compared to his dominant 2011 season, and only just edged out Fernando Alonso at the last round in Brazil. Given the competitiveness of the field, I do not expect him to run away with the championship, but can he add to his tally? He certainly has the confidence and ability to do so.

MARK WEBBER

At 36 years of age, Mark Webber is now Formula One's elder statesman. The Australian enters 2013 with the knowledge that his contract with Red Bull Racing is to expire at the end of the season, and it is up to him to urge the team to re-sign. At his best, Webber is capable of dominating a Grand Prix from start to finish and leaving the rest of the grid for dead, and he is always very consistent. But these days have been few and far between, and it is clear that he sometimes struggles to match the pace of his team mate. I expect more of the same from him 2013, and it would be a surprise if he ended the season with a greater points haul than Vettel. Should it be his last year with the team, I hope it does mark his last in F1 because he is still a very good driver who will deserve a seat elsewhere, although he is the most senior driver, he is far from past it.

  FERNANDO ALONSO

The mercurial Fernando Alonso was for me, the driver of the year in 2012, I believe he deserved the championship given his heroic performances in a car that did not deserve the results the Spaniard achieved. For 2013, testing has looked much better in comparison to where Ferrari looked 12 months previously, and if the Scuderia can provide the 2-time World Champion with a better car, then he is my title favourite. Whether he does or not, he will certainly be in contention; look out Vettel, Alonso is out for revenge!

FELIPE MASSA

For the first half of 2012, it looked as though Felipe Massa's time at Ferrari was coming to a conclusion, while his team mate was battling at the front of the field, the Brazilian was struggling to even break into the points. However his performances in the second half were a great improvement, and it was firm slap in the face to his critics. Indeed, at the final two races of the year he was even out-pacing his illustrious team mate. Hopefully this will be a huge boost in confidence for him, and with a Vettel-Alonso partnership now looking increasingly unlikely for the foreseeable future, a fine season for Massa could herald another contract with Ferrari for the likeable Brazilian.

JENSON BUTTON

It feels somewhat strange to think that Jenson Button is now the most experienced driver on the grid with 228 Grand Prix starts to his name. At 33, the 2009 World Champion is still at the top of his game, and cannot be ruled out as a championship contender. With the departure of Lewis Hamilton from McLaren, Button is now the team leader, on paper at least as McLaren do not always work like that. He faces compeition from his new team mate, Sergio Perez, but Button has the experience and the right attitude to not be affected by inter-team squabbles. Regarded as the best in the business when it comes to conserving his car and the tyres, the new Pirelli soft tyres for 2013, which look set to provide excitement due to high degradation, expect Button's intelligence behind the wheel to shine.

SERGIO PEREZ

Sergio Perez was the revelation of 2012, the young Mexican performed brilliantly and drove his Sauber to three podium finishes. The new McLaren recruit is confident about his prospects for 2013 and expects to challenge for the world championship, if not clinch at the first time of asking with the Woking-based squad. However, most notably towards the end of last year, he showed he was still prone to costly mistakes and he will need to iron out these little wrinkles if he is to mount a serious threat. Having said that, he is perfectly capable of doing so and if winter testing is anything to go by, I expect him to be in the fight right from the word go in Melbourne. Good results will bring about a strong sense of belief, which will be an exciting prospect for the season ahead.

KIMI RAIKKONEN

2007 World Champion, Kimi Raikkonen made an astonishing return to F1 last year, after two seasons out he showed he had lost none of his ice-cool demeanour which the fans love him for. Both himself and Lotus believe they are looking stronger for 2013, and all the questions regarding Raikkonen's motivation are in my opinion, unfounded. Just let his driving do the talking and not his mouth, that is what he is most comfortable with. I see him in the fight consistently from Melbourne in March to Brazil in November. Furthermore, a second title is a realistic possibility. Winter testing has been hampered slightly by illness, but nothing fazes the Finn. It is clear that he is happy within the Lotus squad, and I expect him to re-sign for 2014 onwards, but still feel there is a slight chance of a move to Ferrari. Let's wait and see.

ROMAIN GROSJEAN

Romain Grosjean's first full season had its high points, but it was overshadowed by the criticism he received for his tendency to be involved in first lap crashes. Indeed, his driving resulted in him becoming the first driver to be banned from a Grand Prix for 18 years. Despite this reputation, he is a quick driver and I believe that if he can clean his act up, he can get job the done. A maiden Grand Prix victory is on the cards this year for the Frenchman in my opinion, and I hope he delivers the results that will make the controversies of 2012 a thing of the past.

NICO ROSBERG

2012 saw Nico Rosberg finally win his first Grand Prix, the German enters his fourth season with Mercedes and has enjoyed a strong pre-season testing programme. For me, he is one of the most underrated drivers in F1 at the present time, and I hope that 2013 is the year he delivers the performance of which I know he is capable of. Despite the retirement of Michael Schumahcer, Rosberg is not free of having a big name partnering him in the team, Lewis Hamilton joins him this year, but I expect the German to on equal terms with the Brit, and adding to his sole victory is what should happen this season. I see no reason why it shouldn't.

LEWIS HAMILTON

The move from McLaren to Mercedes made all the headlines pre-season and the spotlight is on Lewis Hamilton to see what he will achieve with his new team. The transfer was met with some criticism, but not from myself, I felt it was a good move as the Mercedes will be more competitive than last year, a driver of Lewis' ability should be able to deliver the goods. With Rosberg as a team mate, he will have to work just has hard to beat him as he will to beat Vettel, Alonso or Button but I am intrigued to see how the season will pan out for him. I will be amazed if he does not win races, however I will also be surprised if he took the title. I don't expect that much so soon. New regulations introduced for 2014, look set to be the key for the move to work well.

NICO HULKENBERG

Nico Hulkenberg had a fine 2012 season with Force India, in what was the first of a multi-year contract. Surprisingly he moves to Sauber for 2013, not a bad move by career terms as of yet, but it's not exactly a huge step forward either. A potential door-opener for a seat at Ferrari in the future perhaps? Sauber are coming off the back of a successful season, and their new car looks set to maintain that performance. Hulkenberg is a talented driver who has the potential to fight it out with the big boys and should not take too long to acclimatise himself with his new surroundings, the future is bright.

ESTEBAN GUTIERREZ

As Sauber lose one Mexican driver, they gain another. Esteban Gutierrez has been promoted from test driver to race driver for 2013. He has an impressive CV and his familiarity with the team is another advantage as his first Grand Prix is almost upon him. Already the comparisons between him and Sergio Perez have been a talking point, but Gutierrez should focus on his own performance and not let that distract him, while at the same time, he can use Perez's climb up the ranking as an example, a solid rookie season is what I expect from the newcomer.

PAUL DI RESTA

Scotland's Paul di Resta is a name that has been linked with the top teams of the sport, but he has not yet delivered the performances which leave him deserving a seat at Ferrari or McLaren. He is a supremely confident driver and feels that 2013 is the year he capitalises on his promise. He needs to, as he may not get the chance to move to a championship winning team given the intense competition. But di Resta is more experienced now, he knows the team very well and if Force India can provide the Scot with the car to enable him to grab the opportunity for podium finishes, then he will do very well. For now though, he does need to improve on last year's inconsistent performance, but his ability should let that happen.

ADRIAN SUTIL

Force India's decision to bring Adrian Sutil back to the team came to me as a surprise, I felt sure that the team would prefer the exciting talent of French youngster, Jules Bianchi. Nevertheless Sutil is an experienced driver which always works in ones favour. The German returns after a year away following his conviction for GBH, he insists there are no legal barriers but he does have some bridges to build as far as his reputation is concerned. He re-joins Paul di Resta who partnered him in 2011, then Sutil had the measure of the Scot but now di Resta is more experienced, I expect Sutil to find it tough. Nonetheless, he can prove my doubts wrong, and if he can deliver a strong performance, the decision to reappoint the German will be fulfilled, and fair play to him.

PASTOR MALDONADO

 

It is difficult to judge just how good Pastor Maldonado really is. His victory at the Spanish Grand Prix last year demonstrated that he is a very quick driver who is capable of battling with the best. But all to often his reputation for dangerous driving got in the way in 2012, and he was involved in numerous incidents. Much like Grosjean, his main task this year is to answer his critics, because the Venezuelan can do what Williams are urging him to do, and return to the top. Williams have looked quick in testing, so if Maldonando can calm his driving style down, he should show his true potential. The sad death of Hugo Chavez has done nothing to harm Maldonado's state backing, where he is slowly becoming a national hero, 2013 should hopefully do wonders for that tag.



VALTTERI BOTTAS

Like Gutierrez at Sauber, Valtteri Bottas has been promoted from testing to a full time position in the Williams team. In 2012 he was present at several races, participating in Friday practice sessions where he showed that he was a strong contender for the Williams line up in 2013, ultimately he had done enough and the Finn, who is comfortable within the team is looking forward to his maiden Grand Prix. Although I feel he can be on par with him in terms of results, I do not expect him to match Maldonado's outright pace, but if Bottas can deliver consistency, he will cement his position within the team. I predict he will finish the season as the highest place rookie driver.

JEAN-ERIC VERGNE

Frenchman, Jean-Eric Vergne enters his second season in F1 with Scuderia Toro Rosso after a solid if unspectacular debut season last year. He came out on top in the points standings over his team mate Daniel Ricciardo, but both will have to improve this year as the team are not afraid of a change in driver line-up, 2014 could see an entirely different driver pairing if Vergne cannot deliver the goods. On the other hand, a fine season could be rewarded with a move to the senior Red Bull Racing team, it will be interesting to see how the whole case of affairs materialises.

DANIEL RICCIARDO

The ever-smiling Daniel Ricciardo has stated his goal is to beat his team mate in 2013, it may be a case of whoever comes out on top will succeed Mark Webber at Red Bull, but as previously mentioned with Vergne, the Australian also faces the harsh world of F1 if he does there is no improvement over last year. I believe it was wrong to axe Jaime Alguersuari after his strong 2011 season, but that just proves how strict Toro Rosso can be, both Vergne and Ricciardo have their work cut out if they do not want to suffer the same fate.

CHARLES PIC

For a rookie who is driving for a team at the back of the grid, is hard to assess how good they are, the best they can hope for is to drive consistently, bring their car home and not crash it too often. That will earn respect, Charles Pic proved to be far from a disgrace in his first season last year. For 2013 he has taken his sponsorship package from Marussia to Caterham, but that team, like Marussia, are still yet to score their first ever point and have been a disappointment as they promised more. Maybe 2013 can be the year they finally get off the mark, but I feel that Caterham will again be subjected to the tail end of the field.

GIEDO VAN DER GARDE

Dutchman Giedo van der Garde got the nod for Caterham this season, fending off competition from Vitaly Petrov, Heikki Kovalainen and Bruno Senna. In 2012, he drove for the team in Friday Practice sessions, and has tasted success in the World Series by Renault championship and GP2. Despite this, the Caterham team, along with other teams are resorting to drivers with substantial sponsorship backing, some have proved very successful, such as Sergio Perez and Pastor Maldonado to name two, but I think that no matter how good van der Garde's season will be, should another pay driver emerge, it could be a case of van der Garde out and his replacement. Harsh yes, but that is modern F1 for you. Nonetheless, van der Garde is happy with how pre-season testing has gone and is confident for the season ahead.

JULES BIANCHI

Jules Bianchi's graduation to F1 is overdue for me. He has been linked with a seat in top-level motorsport since Felipe Massa's absence through injury back in 2009. But he has never been able to secure a drive until now, and only just now. Marussia originally signed Luiz Razia, but after his sponsorship funding failed to pay up, the Brazilian's drive disappeared, and in-stepped the Frenchman. Bianchi had been set for a drive at Force India, but the team opted to sign Adrian Sutil, Bianchi's links with Ferrari could have been the catalyst for a Ferrari engine deal with Force India for 2014, however that can still happen. For now, the highly rated Bianchi makes his debut with Marussia, and he will find his feet very quickly.

MAX CHILTON

Rounding out the list of 2013 drivers is the fifth rookie on the grid, the young Brit, Max Chilton. After taking part in the Young Driver Test for the Marussia team at the end of last year, Marussia have signed the former GP2 driver to compete in his first season. Already in his career, he has had three team mates, Timo Glock was under contract until the end of 2014, but left the team in January, then Luiz Razia parted company with Marussia as mentioned above. Chilton now has his work cut out to match his talented team mate Bianchi, but Chilton has had his share of success in the junior formulae and should be able to hold his own at this level.