You Weren’t There, Man!
Why the most exciting moments of F1 suddenly aren't.
A couple of seemingly innocent things happened recently. First I got the F1 08 season review DVD for Christmas which I dutifully watched, and I saw the clip of possibly the greatest pass in F1 history - Mika Hakkinen going past Michael Schumacher (and Ricardo Zonta...) at Spa.
Both the pass and the dying moments of Brazil this year left me... cold. As though I was watching them as just something that happened in the past.
I understand now why people claim those who didn't witness an event first hand can never understand. What was so special about Mika's pass was not that he overtook two cars at once, it's was the culmination of laps and laps of absolutely MONSTERING Schumacher. Pushing, trying to force the Ferrari into a mistake. As Hakkinen gets a run out of Radillon he pulls out to make the pass but Schumacher puts him onto the grass at 180mph. Mika recovers quickly but he's back where he started, he's pushing, pushing, pushing. The next lap plunging through Eau Rouge, pops over the crest at Raidillon and he pulls out again straight out behind Zonta. In a heart beat he pulls across again without thinking, and clears both the Ferrari and the trundling BAR. The move was spectacular, but it was also outstanding presence of mind by Mika to keep trying for any way past. No driving for position or 'just get to the end', it's was pure racer instinct.
Today I found the DVD I recorded the Brazillian Grand Prix on. With steak and spuds on my lap I watched the start, the rain, the tension. Plate cleared away I fast forwarded to 10 laps from the flag.
Hamilton was doing enough, he was doing OK, he was just going for the championship. Then the rain came. Who would pit? Would Hamilton cover Massa? Who wouldn't? Raikkonen was in first, then Hamilton with Vettel on his tail. 30 secs later Massa joined them on inters. Hamilton was soaking up the pressure, the lap counter clicking down one by one, and an out of position Glock making decent pace on dry tyres.
Baulked by Kubica, Hamilton runs wide and Vettel slips past, and instantly my heart is in my mouth and the hairs on my arms were rigidly upright. The laps, the time, the miles slipping away as Hamilton fought to even keep up with Vettel. Lewis was all about keeping going, never giving up, every bit the lionheart that Mansell was thoughout his career, and such a different man to the one that had some of the scrappiest laps of his career on the first lap of Brazil '07.
Corner by corner Lewis drops back, and my body is tingling with adrenaline as he faces that slow countdown to the chequered flag which Massa has taken.
Then the struggling Glock is ahead of the chasers, then behind, and all the emotions come flooding back in a wave of jubilation and exhilaration. Hamilton is World Champion, Brundle punches the air with delight, and I'm right back there in a puddle of adrenaline and emotion.
I watch a little more, then stop, take out the disc. I write "Brazil 2008 - DO NOT USE" in marker, and file the disc away from possible future use. The season review DVD will remind me of finishing positions and incidents throughout the year, but that DVD, with the reduced quality and adverts, will remind me of the drama and emotion.
One day I'll show it to my kids, and they'll look at me and wonder why it's such a big deal.
You weren't there man, you weren't there.
I thought about doing a season review blog, but I haven't got strong enough formed opinions on what has been going on for months, so instead I'll simply end on these:
Driver of the year - Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton was a worthy champ, as Massa would have been, but from halfway through the season onwards Vettel was maximising the Torro Rosso and even embarassing the factory cars. He grew in confidence and stature, and really punched above his weight. His win in Monza was a genuine from a genuine pole, not a gift from luck with the weather. Don't forgot he even ran with Lewis for most of the race in Brazil. Had Seb been in the Mclaren and Hamilton in the Torro Rosso, would they have still run each other so close?
Disappointment of the year - Well, excluding the Honda RA108, Honda pulling out of F1, and some very dubious decisions from marshalls, it's got to be Heikki Kovalainen. He won a race, and he usually got the car home, but you can't help but feel he never supported Hamilton's championship, he just happened to also be on track in a McLaren at the same time. There is just too big a list of drivers I think could have done a much, much better job. Raikonen was bad, sure, but Heikki was just too unremarkable, while driving a remarkable car against a remarkable team mate.