The talented few of motorised sport
I’ve been thinking. Well, you need some thinking time when the editor is asking for a couple of blogs each week, preferably opinionated. A little humour is also allowed, maybe taking us down a track other than that of the racing variety.
Anyway, where was I? Yes. What an extraordinary century this has been for the truly, deeply talented few of motorised sport.
I am referring of course to Michael Schumacher, Valentino Rossi and Sebastien Loeb.
The latter two are too often described as the Schumachers of motorcycle racing and rallying. Mr Schumacher might just as easily be described as the Rossi, or the Loeb, of motor racing.
The first decade of the new millennium has been dominated by these three men, all of them supreme masters of their disciplines. Sure, you can argue that they have had use of the very best equipment, but the fastest machine does not always a champion make.
Getting into, or onto, the best machine is all part of the job. Moulding a team around you is another piece of the puzzle. Not having too much competition from your team-mate can also be useful, as in the case of the Ferrari driver. Some say he was never consistently challenged. I think Messrs Hill, Hakkinen and Alonso might have a word to say about that.
But I digress. Sebastien Loeb appears to be unstoppable, his victory in Spain bringing the Frenchman to the brink of yet another world championship. And the next rally is his home event. Only his team-mate could get anywhere near him in Catalunya. He makes it all look so easy. That is the trademark of the truly, deeply talented. Think of Alain Prost, and his seemingly effortless progress at the head of a Grand Prix field.
There is much talk, these days, of money and budgets when it comes to sporting prowess. You know the kind of thing – Chelsea FC only won the English Premiership football title because they had the biggest pile of cash, Ferrari only won all those titles with Schumacher because they had the biggest budget, and on it goes. It’s worth remembering that Chelsea had the money from the start but took years to win the title while Ferrari had not won a championship for twenty years when Schumacher came along.
It is, for once, not about the money. It is about talent and application, possibly in equal shares. One is no use without the other. What Sebastien Loeb achieved in Spain at the weekend, like Rossi the previous weekend, and like Schumacher between 2000 and 2004, simply sets them apart from the rest. You either got it or you ain’t, as some say. Again, we salute a quite extraordinary achievement.
Speaking of achievement, what about Allan McNish and the Audi team at Road Atlanta? Now this was utterly unbelievable, one of those moments in sport that us fans will talk about for years to come. When the Petit Le Mans race got underway, the Audi R10 of McNish/Capello/Pirro was still in pieces in the garage, McNish having crashed the car on the recce laps an hour before the start. I know, it’s a script you could not imagine.
Joining the race two laps down, the Audi trio set about hauling in the leading Peugeot, not to mention passing everybody else at least twice. In his final stint McNish, presumably well pumped up after his earlier mistake, proceeded to the front of the field to beat the lone Peugeot in an incredible sprint over the last thirty laps or so. A truly incredible result and a tribute to the team. It’s been a very good year for Audi while Peugeot have much work to do over the winter.
There is no substitute for talent and the unremitting application of same. Which is why, in the end, I think a British driver will win the F1 world championship for the first time since 1996. Meanwhile, I am having a scheduled pit stop this week, to remove something unpronounceable from the palm of my right hand. I am told I will not be able to type for a couple of weeks after the surgery. I will, however, dictate responses to those of you who clearly demand a further explanation of weekly ramblings.
Filed under: Blogs, Formula 1, Personalities, Rally, Sportscars
Rob was brought up on racing, being taken to Goodwood as a small child and devouring his father’s copies of Motor Sport. During a career in newspaper, radio and TV journalism he created the ‘Track Torque’ motorsport show on radio and was Indycar commentator for Eurosport before co-founding the Festival of Speed and Revival events. He was marketing director of the Goodwood Road Racing Company. 
Dave Cubbedge:
October 9th, 2008 1:41pm
I have been following motorsport since the mid-60s, and consider myself somwhat of an historian of GP racing. So I am prepared to take some flak by saying that Michael Schumacher barely registers on my all time top 10 list. (For reasons why, see Nigel Roebuck!) There are at least 10 World Champions that I would rate higher, and that doesn’t even include Moss and the pre-war set.
Despite having said all that, it would be neat to see all of them in a three-way contest; let them each drive F1, MotoGP and WRC machinery and compare.
rob widdows:
October 9th, 2008 3:12pm
He is not in my top 10 either. Too much skullduggery!
Thanks for your view, and hope you enjoy the magazine.
Cannot type much today. Had a small op on my right hand!!!
RW
Aleš Norský:
October 9th, 2008 4:27pm
If you rate driving skill and success, M.Schumacher must easily be close to the top on any Top 10 Grand Prix divers list. I would say that in the history of Formula One only Fangio was (marginally) more accomplished and only Clark was actually better. And for the Senna crowd…bring it on!
On the other Champions, it is hard enough to try comparing Grand Prix drivers from different eras, let alone drivers/riders across various forms of racing. Let’s just say that I am quite certain that all of them would beat me in their sleep in any kind of machinery.
rob widdows:
October 11th, 2008 4:46pm
Dear All
Having safely completed my pit stop I am now traing hard to be a one-handed typist. Luckily the anaesthetic had dissipated by the time the cars went out for qualifying in Japan this morning and I managed to make tea, tie my shoe laces and get in front of the TV, all with one hand.
Forgive the odd bit of nonsense – it’s caused by the damn laster cast hitting the keyboard.
Anyway, after Hamilton had taken a vital pole position, the phone rang and it wa Jo Ramirez, the man who was for so long the team manager at McLaren, looking after both Prost and Senna in those halcyon days.
“I think Lewis is learning now that sometimes he must slow down, drive for points, if he’s going to win the championship,” said Jo, “he’s definitely maturing and the team seems to be more organised than last year. Ron is still very much in charge, you know, and he has the title very much in focus. I cannot understand what happened in Monza, with the tyre choice in the wet sessions, but the team is back on track, and Lewis looks a lot calmer, a lot stonger than this time last season.”
Ramirez is in London, on his way to Mexico for the 2008 La Carrera Panamericana road race which starts on October 23rd. He will drive a Volvo, as he did last year, when he won his class. I was due to be there myself until I realised I would not be too useful with one hand out of action. Mexico is not the place for a one-armed bandit. The Panamericana is the last of the great road races, a truly spectacular event that demands skill, courage and stamina. This year Jan Lammers is also taking part, in a Porsche, as are the young Bleekemolens from Holland.
“Jan says he’s only there to have some fun,” says Ramirez, “if you believe that, you believe anything. He’s a racer, we all are.”
I will be reporting on the great race, with photos from the stages and some comments from local hero JR as he goes for another win in the Volvo.
Early start for Fuji tomorrow then, and all looks set fair for Hamilton. But, as many of you have reminded me, we’ve been here before.
Kimi to win, Lewis to rack up some more points, that’s my bet.We shall see.
This takes ages with two fingers……………!
RW
Filipe Amoroso:
October 12th, 2008 8:17am
It was an extraordinary bet from the start line until turn 1.
Good luck with your recovery!
rob widdows:
October 13th, 2008 8:10am
Hum! Not a very good bet, was it? I thought Hamilton had already learnt not to win races in the first corner.
If he really is a great driver, then Sunday will make him even stronger. If not……..well, he could take a look at how Alonso goes racing. Maybe he should have done so last year.
The 2008 championship is being organised very nicely………………..and looks like keeping us hooked all the way to Brazil. Hum.
RW