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For those of us who I’ve been watching this for a while, I just read about a new documentary called Villeneuve Pironi, which is on HBO Max. Haven’t had time to watch it yet, but will definitely check it out. Gille’s daughter helped with the documentary, and it should be very interesting.
Will never forget, I was in Europe, right after that accident, and picked up an Italian F1 magazine. It had a picture of his open casket…
Just watched. Interesting with in period and more recent interviews with both families and team members. Recommended for real F1 nerds, like me...
My prediction is that Perez starts the season: if he falters in the first 4-6 races, RIC takes his place and Liam Lawson slots into the Alpha Tauri seat.
You rack up a season for the history books. Your #1 driver completely dominates the grid, securing the drivers’s championship with over double the points of 2nd place. Your #2 driver takes 2nd place, more than 50 points ahead of 3rd place. You secure the constructors championship with more than double the points of the 2nd place team. Oh, and your #2 driver is no threat whatsoever to your #1 and doesn’t create disharmony within the team.
Yes, let’s go ahead and can Checo. Brilliant idea.
Thought you guys would enjoy this and wanted to share a short article as it gives some insight from a long time F1 engineer, Pat Fry.
I knew that Senna wasn’t in the greatest of fitness and despite his incredible career results, Michael always had a touch of self doubt. Jean Todt has recounted how Schumacher would call him in the off season and ask to get in the new Ferrari they were developing to see if he “still had what it took to drive in F1.” And Alonso, his issues within each team are well documented.
From all I've seen/read, Senna was just a freak. Was very religious and really believed his success came with the help of a higher power. Don't recall the race (might have been a quali session) but I do remember him saying words to the effect after dominating the field that he was just driving w/o really knowing what he was doing
From all I've seen/read, Senna was just a freak. Was very religious and really believed his success came with the help of a higher power. Don't recall the race (might have been a quali session) but I do remember him saying words to the effect after dominating the field that he was just driving w/o really knowing what he was doing
I believe that was Monaco when he was a second ahead of everyone else. Said he was in another zone or dimension, sort of "out of body." Yes, he was a "freak." But obviously not perfect...
From all I've seen/read, Senna was just a freak. Was very religious and really believed his success came with the help of a higher power. Don't recall the race (might have been a quali session) but I do remember him saying words to the effect after dominating the field that he was just driving w/o really knowing what he was doing
Yes, he had more than a few sublime qualifying sessions as well as races, especially in the rain. As Ski mentioned, he said that about Monaco qualifying where he pretty much had an out of body experience. You bolded the part about fitness, he wasn't keen to train or work out. Exhaustive races were his cryptonite and the iconic video of him on the podium in his home race where he had trouble even lifting the Brazilian flag is one that comes to mind.
The season is so jam packed with race weekends that sometimes things get lost or overlooked. Interesting look at the effectiveness of drag on each car. We all knew the RB was at another level. Aston Martin with the most drag on the grid.
Also Interesting quote by Jean Todt that tells me there was friction between he as head of the FIA and Toto/Mercedes after Abu Dhabi 2021 and may relate to the most recent attempt from the FIA to reign Toto in.
My prediction is that Perez starts the season: if he falters in the first 4-6 races, RIC takes his place and Liam Lawson slots into the Alpha Tauri seat.
An "impeccable" employee does NOT equate to having good judgement in a leadership role.
I'm sure he showed up on time, didn't call in sick, and was polite to his superiors.
Every petty bureaucrat in the city planning department and every bored worker at the DMV might be considered 'impeccable employees' as well...
You rack up a season for the history books. Your #1 driver completely dominates the grid, securing the drivers’s championship with over double the points of 2nd place. Your #2 driver takes 2nd place, more than 50 points ahead of 3rd place. You secure the constructors championship with more than double the points of the 2nd place team. Oh, and your #2 driver is no threat whatsoever to your #1 and doesn’t create disharmony within the team.
Yes, let’s go ahead and can Checo. Brilliant idea.
They other teams are not standing still. They will improve their cars and most likely get closer to RedBull. RedBull might need a more consistent driver than Perez has been to win the WCC. Winning the WCC is all the teams care about because that championship is what brings them the big money payouts.
Yes, he had more than a few sublime qualifying sessions as well as races, especially in the rain. As Ski mentioned, he said that about Monaco qualifying where he pretty much had an out of body experience. You bolded the part about fitness, he wasn't keen to train or work out. Exhaustive races were his cryptonite and the iconic video of him on the podium in his home race where he had trouble even lifting the Brazilian flag is one that comes to mind.
I believe his car was stuck in a gear for a large part of the race all the way to the end.
Yes, he had more than a few sublime qualifying sessions as well as races, especially in the rain. As Ski mentioned, he said that about Monaco qualifying where he pretty much had an out of body experience. You bolded the part about fitness, he wasn't keen to train or work out. Exhaustive races were his cryptonite and the iconic video of him on the podium in his home race where he had trouble even lifting the Brazilian flag is one that comes to mind.
I have a book about all of Senna's races. He tapped a temporary concrete wall section pretty hard in a corner, can't remember the track or if it was during qualy or the race. He was totally distraught about hitting the wall section, went back to his room to be alone and ponder. Told several people he just couldn't figure out what happened, how he tapped the wall section. He later learned that wall section had been moved by track workers between his previous session on track and the session where he hit it, and when checked the wall section had been placed about 1/2" further onto the track surface.
The season is so jam packed with race weekends that sometimes things get lost or overlooked. Interesting look at the effectiveness of drag on each car. We all knew the RB was at another level. Aston Martin with the most drag on the grid.
Also Interesting quote by Jean Todt that tells me there was friction between he as head of the FIA and Toto/Mercedes after Abu Dhabi 2021 and may relate to the most recent attempt from the FIA to reign Toto in.
I have a book about all of Senna's races. He tapped a temporary concrete wall section pretty hard in a corner, can't remember the track or if it was during qualy or the race. He was totally distraught about hitting the wall section, went back to his room to be alone and ponder. Told several people he just couldn't figure out what happened, how he tapped the wall section. He later learned that wall section had been moved by track workers between his previous session on track and the session where he hit it, and when checked the wall section had been placed about 1/2" further onto the track surface.
Pat Symonds, technical director, sat down with Ayrton after the 1984 US GP and spoke about Senna’s weekend:
“It was very hot and a terribly difficult race. Ayrton had a bit of a mixed bag: he’d qualified all right, thought the car was Ok. He spun early in the race and had to work his way back, but was heading towards a reasonable if not stunning finish. Then Senna crashed, damaged a wheel and broke a driveshaft. After the race he was distraught and really couldn’t understand how he’d hit the wall. We were sitting talking, debriefing, and he said: ‘It’s impossible I hit the wall. The wall moved’.”
Symonds continued, “I said, ‘Yeah, sure it did…’ They were huge great concrete blocks…But he was so insistent, and I had so much confidence in the guy, that I said, ‘Ok, we’ve just got to go and look at this’. I did think he was talking bollocks but he needed to go and see it. So we walked out to where he’d hit the wall and do you know what? The wall had moved. It was made of the great big concrete blocks that they used to delineate the circuit, but what be happened was that someone had hit the far end of a block and pushed it, which made the leading edge come out a few millimeters. He was driving with such precision that those few millimeters, and I’m talking probably ten millimeters, were enough for him to hit the wall that time rather than just miss it”.
12-18-2023, 10:56 PM
