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Articles by Darren Galpin
| Service Resumed – So we’ll have some anecdotes as - Sun 30th May 2004 |
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After the chaos of Monaco, normal service was resumed with a Ferrari 1-2 at the Nürburgring in the European Grand Prix. The conditions made it a Bridgestone day, but even so, no-one else except the BAR drivers was even close.
BAR have been making some progress this year, and this was reflected in Sato being 2nd on the grid. It was the best ever showing by a Japanese driver in the race, and he kept up the showing during the race, remaining in 2nd for much of it. However, when trying to overtake the two stopping Rubens Barrichello he made an optimistic dive up the inside, and removed his front wing. Two laps later, his engine went bang. It does make you wonder how this always happens to the same driver, as this was the second race in the row that this happened to Sato. Perhaps he needs to look at his driving style? However, Sato’s loss was Button’s gain, and he was yet again on the grid in 3rd, after a slightly quieter afternoon.
Ralf Schumacher again didn’t finish, but this time he can get some sympathy, as he was the innocent party. He was heading into the first corner on the first lap on the outside line into the first hairpin bend, with Montoya alongside. Montoya locked up his front wheels when turning in, and nerfed Ralf, who then span. Montoya removed the rest of the front wing, and as he disappeared off the circuit, he took da Matta with him. End of game yet again.
Given the strong showing in the last race, Renault were extremely disappointing. Yes, they both finished in the top 6, but they were largely anonymous during the race, and were some 12 kph slower than the Ferrari’s and the BAR’s on the main straight. Alonso compounded his problems by spinning, gifting Trulli an easy pass, after having beaten him away on the grid. Alonso got all of the plaudits last year for his performances, but he isn’t living up to them this year. Therefore it beats me why Alonso has a definite contract with Renault for next year, and Trulli does not. I also don’t understand why Alonso isn’t being criticised for his mistakes, but if Trulli makes one, he is more likely to be lambasted. It strikes me that the Formula 1 fraternity is being blinded by youth, and making too many allowances for a driver who is, it should be remembered, in his third racing season in F1, and has had a full season testing for Renault. If he really is as good as Schumacher, these mistakes have to be eliminated.
McLaren had a marginally better race than usual, with Räikkönen qualifying 4th, and racing with the lead cars until his engine went bang yet again. Coulthard started from the back of the grid due to an engine change, but was up to 10th by the end of the first lap. He was looking good for a points finish until his engine also went bang. On a circuit sponsored by Mercedes and located in Germany, this was extremely embarrassing. You can’t criticise McLaren for a bad chassis if they don’t have an engine which gets them to the end of the race. It’s a team sport after all.
Anecdotes
There’s no overall theme to the rest of this article – it is just a collection of anecdotes from those who have been involved in motor-racing in some capacity or another. What they do is flesh out the bare statistics, and tell the stories which can otherwise be missed from the record. The words are not mine, and belong to those who are telling them.
Raul Boesel
By Barry Lake, Australian journalist.
I was at the British GP at Brands Hatch, in the pit/paddock area. A couple of hours before the start I was asking for advice as to where I should stand to watch the race. A Brazilian lady, who had told me she had worked for Bernie Ecclestone at some stage, but was no longer in that capacity, said that the inside of Paddock Bend was the best. She said, "If you meet me here at X minutes before the start, you can walk up there with me and I will show you."
When I met her at the appointed time, one Brazilian lady became three Brazilian ladies. The first introduced me to the other two by their first names and we walked together to the corner.
When we planted ourselves at the fence on the inside of the entry to Paddock Bend, I had the Brazilian ladies on one side of me and a young Australian couple, who told me they were on their honeymoon, on the other.
We were accustomed to hearing Murray Walker's TV commentary and he used to call Raul Boesel something like, "Rowl Boysell". The course commentator was running through the cars and drivers in grid order and got to, "... and on the Xth row, Rowl Bo-ezzel..."
The young Aussie newly-wed laughed and said something like, "Ha! He got that one wrong!" At which point one of the Brazilian ladies leaned around me to say to him, "No; that is the correct pronunciation."
The young Aussie looked at her with a doubting grin, "How do you know that?" he asked.
"Because I'm his wife."
The young Aussie gave the only reply possible. "Oh," he said, sheepishly.
Sherm Decker
By Dave Nicholas, some time IMSA sportscar driver.
Sherm was a fast, brutal driver. As he aged he got smoother, but even early on his car control was second to none. Remember that "brutal" must be taken in context that he is driving MGA's back when you were boss if you could get Michelin X radials... His battles in 1956 - 1958 with Bob Bucher in MG's was legendary. Bucher was a WWII bomber pilot who was as cool as the other side of the pillow. Never flustered, smooth as Stirling Moss. Decker was bouncing off the dirt, sliding to the edge. Still talked about (their finish will be reprised this year at the MG car club meet at Watkins Glen in September) is how they were at a complete dead heat coming into the last turn at Watkins Glen Collier Cup in 1958. They touched slightly and Bucher beat Sherm to the line by inches. When asked why he didn't bump Bucher off the road (Decker had come up the inside into what was then a hairpin turn) he replied simply "you don't do that to a driver like Jake". The two had tremendous respect for each other and co-drove an Aston-Martin at Sebring in 1961 being far faster than the name drivers in the other factory Aston.
Decker was a class act who drove the wheels off an old Cooper-Ford in the mid-60's and scared the pants off Pedro Rodriguez & Ludovico Scarfiotti (Ferraris) and Walt Hansgen (Scarab) and the other big guns at Bridgehampton in 1964 (it was a World Champ race in those days).
Sherm's nickname to us was "arms" because he built like a modern linebacker... and he was quite a football player in school. Back in those days there were no gyms or machines or swanky fitness clubs, yet Decker was buff and sculpted - all by nature and hard work.
Imagine if you can somebody who was so good he could take a 100 hp MGA and beat a full overhead cam Porsche Carrera roadster with 150hp. I saw him do it many times.
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