15 May 1998 |
No 13 |
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Monaco. The Image That lingers.
By Roger Horton
Time was when there were Three truly great motor races in the world. The Indianapolis 500, The Le Mans 24 Hours Endurance Race,and the Monaco Grand Prix.
Sadly only Monaco really remains as a truly classic event in its initial form. Le Mans, over the years famous for its great factory against factory struggles, seems to have lost the relevance it once enjoyed on a world wide basis. When it was Ferrari against Ford,Ferrari against Porsche,Ferrari against Jaguar,Ferrari against the world it often seemed.
The Indy 500 is now only a pale shadow of its former self. Contested mostly by almost anonymous drivers with little in their past's and little more in their futures.The great race a victim to a sordid power struggle that can produce no winners.
But Monaco goes on. First run in 1929 the race is truly one of the great links with the formative era of Formula One. In the Fifties Monaco was just another Grand Prix race amongst other great races. The circus would move on to Spa-Francorchamps,Reims or Rouen,Silverstone,Nurburgring,and a Monza track without chicanes(continuous speed,as opposed to instant speed, as Jenks used to say).
With races on circuits like these Monaco,though unique,was not always considered so special.But by the Eighties the cars had clearly outgrown the circuit.The huge power outputs of the turbo cars turned Monaco into the ultimate white knuckle ride.
It was Monaco that saved it's Grand Prix. Monaco is a posers paradise.It's the ultimate place to be seen. Put simply the Sponsors demanded it. No matter if the cars spend lap after lap playing a fruitless game of follow my leader,trapped by Formula One's inability to solve it "no passing" conundrum,on these narrow streets,full of chicanes,hairpins and slow turns.
Yet Monaco is a classic place to watch a Formula One car in action. The noise is just indescribable.Bounced off the buildings that surround the track, it is an experience all by itself. To hear a single car lapping alone is to witness Formula One at a different level. The harsh power on, power off, and the shriek of the brakes into the hairpins produce images and sounds that linger a lifetime.
Fortunately it also seems to serve up some surprise results and dramatic races. In 1996 Olivier Panis, driving Ligier JS43 became the only non "big four" winner since who can remember when, to win a Formula One race. A wet start to the race saw incidents and accidents reduce the runners dramatically.When leaders Damon Hill and later Jean Alesi encountered mechanical problems the way was cleared for Panis to take his one, and so far only, F1 victory from 14th on the grid in a place where you can't overtake!
I have many images to savior from Monaco over the years. Mansell in 1992 hounding Senna's Mclaren to the flag after a tire problem robbed him of a certain victory. The look on Aryton Senna's face as he looks back at his stricken Mclaren parked against the wall in 1988. Moments before he had been heading for a crushing victory over arch rival Alain Prost when, in a fractional misjudgment he allowed his wheel to touch the barrier. That ended his race and put him a massive 15 points down with just 3 races gone.
The title slipping away and only himself to blame!
Senna again in 1984. The race is run in torrential rain. In only his 6th Grand Prix,and starting from 13th on the grid, Senna storms through the field and is about to take the lead from Prost when the race is stopped on the 31st lap.Just one more lap and justice would have been done that day.
In truth for many years Monaco was ALL about Aryton Senna. He raced there 10 times. He won the race on six occasions,but for the events just described he would have made it 8 wins out of 10 races. Seldom can a driver have ever dominated a race quite like this.
Other multiple winners include Graham Hill 5 wins,Alain Prost 4. Michael Schumacher has won 3 times from 6 starts.
I have two other images of Monaco. The 53rd lap of the 1997 race. Schumacher is driving brilliantly. Dominating on a wet track. Suddenly at Ste Devote he locks his front wheels. As calmly as you or I driving out of our driveways, he takes to the escape road,does a spin turn,and continues.
The best can make mistakes, but so often it provides yet more opportunity for them to show off their class.
The final Image. It is 1994. Barely two weeks since the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna. Karl Wendlinger has drifted into a coma from the serious head injuries he sustained during Thursdays free practice.
The Formula One "circus" is in a state of shock.
In the Williams pit there are just two cars and an empty space.
An Image that lingers.
Talk to Roger |
Roger Horton |
Singapore |
Send your comments to Roger at - rmhorton@pacific.net.sg |
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