December’s audio podcast (2009)
Here we are: the last of the Motor Sport audio podcasts of 2009. For those of you who were upset about John Watson’s views on Kimi Raikkonen in the last episode, you’ll be pleased to know that we have gone some way to rectifying the situation… Or at least a certain Niki Lauda has.
As always do tell us what you think and let us know what you’d like to hear about in 2010. As Rob suggests, we’re planning a few specials and will have plenty more guests. In the meantime, a very Happy Christmas to you all.
For those of you who’d like to download it, and don’t have iTunes, please use the following link: http://podcast.motorsportmagazine.co.uk/2009/12/December_audio_podcast.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Filed under: Audio podcasts, Formula 1, Historic Racing
Ed returned from a stint in Milan, working on the Italian version of Autocar, and joined the team in August 2007. After two years of countless scooter accidents and a constant battle against coffee addiction it was a relief for him to start writing in his mother tongue. As well as managing the website, Ed writes various features and is a regular contributor to CNN, Channel 4, Sky News, the BBC and a number of radio stations. He was also awarded the MSA/Renault Young Motoring Journalist of the Year in January 2009. 
Scott Brownlee:
December 11th, 2009 5:28pm
Another great podcast, chaps. The longer duration seems to frees you up and allows space for natural humour and enthusiasm.
Looking forward to January already.
Mario Carneiro Neto:
December 12th, 2009 12:02am
Hello Gets,
What an honour to have my question answered, in first place nonetheless. Very valid points there about Fernando and how hard Felipe is going to take it next year with that sort of competition. I was glad to hear that you agree he is a great driver, something that kept being neglected mention, perhaps because of the big whooah surrounding all the driver changes for next year.
I especially agree about his decorum at home, when he did all he could but still lost the championship by a few metres. I don’t think anyone, certainly no previous Brazilian driver, would comport themselves as well as he did. A mark of a true sportsman.
I’m excited to see how both Fernando and also Bruno Senna affect him net year…
Many thanks for another great podcast!
Happy Holidays,
Mario
(Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Mario Carneiro Neto:
December 12th, 2009 12:02am
(meant to say Gents, not Gets up there…oops)
Kenny:
December 12th, 2009 9:38am
I can’t hear what Keke Rosberg said about McLaren…can someone enlighten me? Thanks.
Mario Pizzi:
December 12th, 2009 12:37pm
Nigel,
Thanks again for your insight and comments with respect to Elio. Gentlemen thanks for responding to my question. One thing though……I believe he would have been great had he signed for Williams in 1985. Drives me nuts to this day. Anyway he is still my hero.
Merry Xmas to you all.
Mario Pizzi
Montreal, Canada
joe brown:
December 12th, 2009 11:54pm
“It would be a farcical thing to lose the British GP?
Why?
joe brown:
December 13th, 2009 12:56am
I’m on the other side of the world,but this has to be the height of arrogance,why should the British GP. be bullet proof.
Chasey:
December 13th, 2009 10:25am
Some excellent musings from the panel, and Nigel as ever was spot-on.
I agree with Mario; a move to Williams in 1985 would have been fantastic for Elio. Racing with his great friend Rosberg would have made for a very relaxed atmosphere in the team, and also provided a solid springboard for Elio to mount a serious challenge for the WDC in 1986.
But as Clive James once said ‘F1 is IF…spelt backwards’.
PeteH:
December 13th, 2009 1:09pm
Because, joe, aside from the odd Italian interloper, F1’s home nation is Great Britain.
rob widdows:
December 13th, 2009 1:29pm
Keke Rosberg wondered what McLaren would do with the top two floors of their huge ‘brand centre’ in the paddock now that Mercedes have gone to Brawn as partners……………………………..!!!!
The British GP is important because almost the entire F1 industry is based in the UK and the sponsors view the UK as an important market even though our economy is not in great shape. Also, it is vital that we retain some of the great European tracks for Grand Prix racing (and Brazil/Japan) because they are so much more thrilling than the new tracks in Asia, Middle East and Far East. Yes, of course we Brits want our race, but I do believe it’s a good thing to save it from dmise while we do lead the world in F1 engineeringa and dsign.
Anyway, glad you all liked the podcast. We will be back in January by which time we will know what Herr Schumacher is doing, apart from amything else.
RW
Peter G:
December 13th, 2009 8:27pm
Please bring back Wattie. You realize that you had 18 e-mail responses to him in 2 days.
So far, with Niki Lauda ( ex World Champion), you have only had 10 letters in a couple of days.
Would never have thought that Wattie would be so controversial.
Pity that Niki wasn’t able to comment on his days at Ferrari and McLaren.
Keep up the good work, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and look forward to hear from Nick Fry in 2010.
Kenny:
December 14th, 2009 3:32am
Thank you, Rob.
Re the British GP: It was the first F1 race. Britain is the center of the motor racing world (Maranello and Daytona notwithstanding). Imagine the IRL without Indianapolis…
Mario Carneiro Neto:
December 14th, 2009 5:38am
Peter G – That wasn’t really Niki Lauda, you know…
Peter G:
December 14th, 2009 7:25am
Mario
You mean it wasn’t :-)
Nigel does a good imitation though. In fact, I was listening to some of the older podcasts today,and I think we should have Wattie back, along with Niki lauda and Jackie Stewart as well.
Definitely saving these podcasts.. If I had any children,the podscasts would have to be handed down from generation to generation.
Masta Kink:
December 14th, 2009 8:58am
Hopefully Sir Jackie can drop in by helicopter next time!
Just in passing, on the subject of overtaking etc…what is needed is a very wide hairpin at the end of a long straight (Tarzan at Zandvoort, Hockenheim, and Magny Cours are examples)…who can forget DC’s two fingered salute to Schuey! Also the double diffuser should go, then at least overtaking would be more of a possibilty. It’s coming to something when the most exciting corner at Abu Dhabi is the pit exit S-Bend…!
N. Weingart:
December 14th, 2009 5:04pm
Brilliant podcast.
On the subject of next years tech regs and how they will affect the racing, the real question that nobody has addressed is how will Bridgestone muck about with the tire selection. Will the absurd compound selections continue? How this will affect the number of pit stops will likely dominate race strategies next year. That would be a good talking point on the next podcast.
rob widdows:
December 14th, 2009 5:27pm
We will discuss the return of Wattie. He is at least not afraid to speak his mind………….
I know, the pit exit in Abu Dhabi was the major talking point. Crazy. And we have Korea to come next season.
I was talking to Ross Brawn last week at a Graham watches reception in Neuchatel and he says next year will be all about tyre management, and of course fuel consumption and brakes. I may be wrong but I got the feeling he was disappointed to lose Button from the team. But what a great guy is Mr Brawn. Always patient, polite and interesting. It will be very intriguing to see how Mercedes-Benz starts the season. The car, I think, will be extremely competitive.
Am embroiled in a feature on the new Lotus team and the deadline is looming…………….ugh! Not a great time of year for deadlines!
RW
Alastair Warren:
December 14th, 2009 5:34pm
Chasey above, typed:
But as Clive James once said ‘F1 is IF…spelt backwards’.
Would Clive James be another straight talking podcast guest?
Dave Cubbedge:
December 14th, 2009 6:54pm
on the subject of Ronnie pounding ’round Woodcote on the edge of a razor blade…..Nigel, you know, it may not be F1, but I see that all the time watching USAC Sprint Cars on the dirt at Eldora!
Mario Carneiro Neto:
December 14th, 2009 7:42pm
It would be cool to have Nigel Mansell in one of these podcasts too.. Although he’s more ‘tame’ these days, I’m sure he’s full of surprises.
(speaking of which I’m still waiting on my December issue in the mail…US subscribers get it tough)
CasinoSquare:
December 14th, 2009 7:50pm
Hey Rob, if you need any Insider Tales from Lotus, let me know!
joe brown:
December 14th, 2009 11:41pm
rob widdows:
Leave Wattie where he is,bring on Mansell and sir Jackie.
Those are the people we want to listen to
Peter G:
December 15th, 2009 12:13am
Bring back more of the 70’s and 80′ generation racers. All the newer ones are too politically correct now.
The older guys ” tell it like it is”, rather than the sanitised stuff that is provided most of the current generation of drivers.
The older racers would say that a track is crap, whereas, all we have now is discussions on pretty fairy LED lights at Abu Dhabi.
Tony Geran:
December 15th, 2009 12:47am
Rob, really enjoyed the Podcast, it is a nice way to put up with the journey to work listening to you guys. For future guests what about Damon Hill – although I guess he can’t talk about Silverstone’s deal with Bernie – or Johnny Herbert or Martin Brundle, guys who aren’t afraid to speak their mind like Jody and John. Would be interesting to hear their thoughts on a certain Mr Briatore. Of course it would be great to hear from the “real” Niki Lauda and his thoughts on F1 today. He never pulls his punches, I recall the time he gave Emirates Airlines a serve on Australian TV during the Australian GP telecast, being an example of his speaking his mind.
Was surprised you didn’t mention the team that scored more wins than anyone else bar Brawn this year and their prospects for next year, Red Bull, I mean. Everyone is fixated on McLaren and Ferrari but Newey has designed some pretty clever cars over the years, hasn’t he?
Concur with your thoughts about modern F1 circuits. I went to Melbourne last year and watched it all behind steel mesh and this from a seat I paid a small fortune for. I was lucky enough to see the last German GP at the proper ‘Ring and have been spoilt for all time because nothing I’ve seen since has come close.
Michael Spitale:
December 15th, 2009 1:00am
Great pod cast as usual….. I would love to see Rob do an article on Kimi in a coming issue. I don’t recall a Champ walking away from F1 so young and moving to a top team in another competative series. Most of us don’t know Rally the way we do F1 and I would love to learn more of the bigger Kimi story… Plus we all know Kimi has a huge fan base around here….
Casey H:
December 15th, 2009 4:48am
Wonderful feature these podcasts. Thank you. As a US-subscriber, I’d also put in a vote for future talks with the likes of a Jim Hall or Sam Posey if they were over your way. Or maybe Gordon could do a one-on-one recording from here occasionally. David Hobbs is another candidate. He’s my favorite on Speed TV. So refreshing to listen to people who’ve been there and can actually speak their mind.
Kenny:
December 15th, 2009 8:02am
Wasn’t Mansell’s last public utterance something about his championship being worth more than Hamilton’s? Bring on Sir Jackie, leave Nigel to his golfing.
rob widdows:
December 15th, 2009 5:10pm
Funny you should mention an article on Raikkonen because only today I have been trying to organise something at the start of next season. Too early to say how how successful this will be but I don’t give up easily.
Imagine a press conference with Loeb and Raikkonen. Might be fairly quiet occasion.
Tales of Lotus? Yes, please, but I am focusing on the new ‘Lotus F1′ enterprise and will be talking to Mike gascoyne tomorrow. I do wonder, though, what those who worked for the original Team Lotus think of all this? I mean, it’s not Lotus is it? But then so much is virtual these days and I just hope the car goes well. At least I hope it’s competitive, that’s all we can hope for until we know more about the perormance of the Cosworth.Trulli and Kovalainen are the drivers. Safe pairs of hands in the first season, I guess.
Next year we will have not only Red Bulls, but Virgins.
Whatever next? No, don’t bother……………
RW
Mario Carneiro Neto:
December 15th, 2009 6:25pm
It’s funny, so many of us talking about the “Big Manufacturer’s” it seems like F1 teams are now starting to become straight up “Big Business” what with Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Virgin.
Another great great guest would be Sir Stirling, and of course Dan Gurney, especially with his new book coming out soon. Dan Gurney, now that would be a treat.
Mario Carneiro Neto:
December 15th, 2009 6:26pm
Vic Elford too is still alive and involved with racing. He would be a great opinion, especially around Le Mans time.
Nadia:
December 17th, 2009 1:00am
Thanks for addressing the critism about Kimi from last time!
Off course there is not much journalist who really likes Kimi, and it is understandable to a degree, he makes the journalist job more difficult. But the fans loves Kimi and he has many fans, it is just perhaps something that the journalist will never really understand. The more people criticize him the more his fans will properly support him, as it often seems like he is very misunderstood and criticized a bit unfairly at times.
Thanks again for taking the time out, and nice work with the podcast!
joe brown:
December 17th, 2009 1:07am
PeteH:
December 13th, 2009 1:09pm
.Because, joe, aside from the odd Italian interloper, F1’s home nation is Great Britain.
Firstly PeteH Britain is not a nation
Secondly as much as i dislike Berni,did he not give them millions to upgrade facilities for the F1 fans,then they built a new club house at Silverstone?
Santiago Fernández:
December 17th, 2009 1:13am
Great job! You’ve kept up the (high) standard for these podcasts, and this one was quite enjoyable. It was nice to hear you guys having such fun with the “Lauda Interview”, that enthusiasm is contagious! And I’m happy the Nuvolari story is coming up in the next issue :)
And as a Raikkonen fan, I hope Rob’s project does come trough.
And seing someone mentioned Red Bull, what do you guys think about their chances for the championship next year? They have two top tier drivers, Newey’s brilliance, and the experience of mounting a championship challenge, and they’ve kept off the headlines unlike Brawn/Merc. Of course I’m not going to write off Mclaren and Ferrari, but there are going to be changes next year, and we all know how good Newey is under those circumstances. And Webber or Vettel being crowned WDC seems far less silly than Button being champion sounded a year ago when nothing was clear.
Santiago Fernández:
December 17th, 2009 1:18am
…and I think you guys have enough suggestions about possible guests, tough I’d favour either Gurney or Sir Jackie. And I’d also like to nominate my countryman Jo Ramirez.
DDT:
December 17th, 2009 6:36am
My first pod cast, awesome times awesome. ( I have no idea how much that is, but it sounds pretty good)
Jenson’s switch is actually a very interesting subject., with lot’s of mythic dimensions.
First for me are Nick Fry’s diatribes against Button in the recent press that can’t just be sour grapes. These criticisms must have surfaced during the season, and would have been very hurtful to Jenson. Add to that the abominably horrid cars Fry put under Jenson’s butt during the Honda regime, and you’re left with the uncomfortable conclusion that Jenson simply wasn’t appreciated or understood by Fry.
In fact, Fry’s highly emotional response suggests that he blew the negotiations completely. That he thought he had Jenson in the bag, that years of horrid cars were now forgiven. Ross is likely questioning his right hand.
If you are a F1 driver right now, you’d want Ross Brawn as your team leader, no question. And yet Button was in the perfect position to capitalize on that. You have to wonder what Jenson knows? Does Ross Brawn REALLY want to work for Norbert Haug? Yes. he may have access to huge resources (as well as a huge boss), but when someone is second guessing your every decision, and the cars don’t have your name on them anymore …
And how much did Ross tell Jenson? “They want German drivers.” “They don’t think you won championship decisively”. “They don’t think you’re that good a driver (thanks Nick)”. “Schumacher is going to be your team mate, you don’t have a chance.” “I’m here for one year, then off to Scotland to play golf.”
The most pregnant aspect is the timing. The MINUTE Mercedes is announced as the owner, Jenson is gone. He suffered horribly under the corporate mismanagement of the Japanese, why give the Germans a chance to prove they’re worse?
A mystery for some people seems to be why Button would forego the familiarity of a team he knows so well. Perhaps that’s the point, he knows them too well. They had the best car on the grid at the beginning of the season, but managed to go seriously backwards. Ross is awesome, but these guys built the USED DOG FOOD HONDA SPECIAL … twice. But for a miracle, these guys had already ended Button’s F1 career.
Remember, Jenson knows much more about this team than Ross does. So now that you’ve got German management in charge of English knuckleheads, the danger of corporate clumsiness corrupting the process is an obvious risk. If Mercedes does poorly this year, you’ll know Jenson is much smarter than anyone ever imagined.
McLaren, on the other hand, is putting some really bad seasons behind them. This year’s car was a shockingly bad, yet they rallied and turned it into one of the best cars on the grid, the exact opposite of Brawn. At the end, the Brawn was no match for the McLaren. Credit Jenson for hanging on against the odds.
McLaren is an English team, and they welcome English drivers. Although Lewis is a spectacular young driver (not unlike Jenson was), Jenson does not make mistakes, and Lewis does. Further, McLaren chewed up and spit out Alonso AND Montoya. I’ve never seen this mentioned, but there seems to be an ethnic bias at McLaren. Whatever chaos that Montoya and Alonso brought down upon themselves, it will almost certainly not befall Jenson.
In fact, if Lewis is “less congenial” than he appears on TV, the team may rally around Jenson, who is a “what you see is what you get” kind of guy, with his youthful extravagances and arrogances behind him
In the end, we know that after years of ghastly cars, where anybodiy’s skills could have been muted to extinction, Jenson got a sniff of something good and, after three minutes of testing, crushed the entire field with it. His more experienced team mate was left scrambling. Jenson rightly believes Nick Fry doesn’t get it. If Jenson is so bad, how come Rubens couldn’t beat Vettel with the “superior” car? The answer is that the car was merely competitive for most of the season.
Button has always been a very, very ggod driver, beating team mates like Jacques Villeneuve and Ralf Schumacher. And his lightning fast resppnse to a good car demonstrate an unsatisfied hunger, which further explains his move to McLaren.
Jenson also can only write his ticket now. A year of less than stellar performance, and the ticket is gone. It doesn’t matter whether the car or the team was at fault. And what’s more logical than going to McLaren? Get a good car, beat the whelp, and you’re vindicated forever! Besides, McLaren wants him. So good on Jens for taking on Lewis.
Given all that, Lewis’ advantage in the team is such that , if Button even gets close, his talents will never be questioned again. If he beats him, there will be egg more than a few faces.
So even if he doesn’t beat Lewis, I expect Button’s switch will appear very smart a year form now,. And he probably didn’t have anything like a real choice.
Dave Cubbedge:
December 17th, 2009 1:33pm
great, I love the ‘English Knuckleheads’ who have won almost enough championship rings for their toes as well as fingers (thumbs excluded)! good stuff DDT!
Tony Geran:
December 17th, 2009 9:20pm
DDT: Maybe Jenson didn’t fancy the new seating position of the Mercedes with one leg in front and the other behind him. Just listened to Peter Ustinov’s CD on the GP du Roc, very funny particularly the Norschedes team manager and the Fanfini pitstops that are arranged so that the team manager and driver can scream insults at each other.
Rich:
December 18th, 2009 1:08am
Another reason that people yearn for more overtaking is because the overwhelming majority of race viewers these days do so on their television. Through the screen the enjoyment of those subtle nuances is largely lost.
I went to the BTCC meet at Silverstone on a pretty miserable bank holiday weekend this year and was simply *staggered* that my girlfriend and I could simply stroll into the paddock (and even onto the pitlane when there was a break in the action)
The races were rather uneventful (by touring car standards) but we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves because we both enjoy watching motor racing. Simple as. And all for £20! – bargain.
That said, despite being a lifelong fan I have never attended a Grand Prix for a variety of reasons – some financial. Now that the tickets are on sale we shall probably be returning to Silverstone. I fully expect that we will have an absolutely awesome day but I wonder if we will really be getting value for money.
Regarding the recent activities of Jenson Button: one thing that you guys didn’t seem to touch on in the podcast was that maybe Jenson didn’t feel that Brawn thought all that much of him. As gentlemen more informed than I you will correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t one of Ross Brawn’s first acts as Honda team manager to attempt to secure the services of Fernando Alonso? I imagine with an open chequebook and opportunities to pick his team mate – which at that stage would emphatically ended Button’s career as a top flight driver. Maybe his head was simply turned by McLaren courting him.
Thanks for keeping these going – always greatly appreciated.
PeteH:
December 18th, 2009 12:59pm
joe, I don’t like pedants – you know exactly what I meant in my earlier post.
rob widdows:
December 18th, 2009 3:34pm
This has been another excellent debate, particularly on the subject of Button leaving Brawn. Many thanks everybody for your articulate and entertaining thoughts on why JB has gone to McLaren.
We may never know the precise details but my feeling is that both Brawn and Fry, and Mercedes, would like to see Schumacher in the team. This does not explain everything but it sure makes sense to many of us who firmly believe that the German will return despite the obvious risks to his reputation. It is known that the team would like to have German drivers and if ever Schumacher was going to come back then it surely would be with Ross Brawn.
I don’t think he ever really intended to race a Ferrari with KERS without any testing and in the middle of a busy season.
No guys, we don’t like pedantry, but you’d be amazed how many folk write to us in London, pointing out tiny mistakes in a historical story. This magazine has, uniquely I think, the best informed and most educated readership among all the motor racing publications. We are kept on our toes!
A week till Christmas and it’s been snowing heavily here which is always fun. To begin with, anyway. I am behind with my deadlines, behind with my shopping and it’s looking very much like a torrid last few laps before the holiday begins. Same as ever.
We had our Motor Sport Christmas lunch in an Italian restaurant yesterday. We did not mention Luca Badoer…………………..
RW
Mario Carneiro Neto:
December 18th, 2009 6:00pm
Haha why would you?
Mario Carneiro Neto:
December 18th, 2009 6:01pm
(mention Badoer, that is)
joe brown:
December 18th, 2009 11:09pm
PeteH:
December 18th, 2009 12:59pm
.joe, I don’t like pedants – you know exactly what I meant in my earlier post.
Please explain
Alastair Warren:
December 19th, 2009 1:49am
I think I may have to defend some forms of pedantry.
We learn by what is printed in magazines. If we’re young or just don’t know it’s very easy to be led astray by a Mac driver using an incorrect image hastily plucked from an image library. An example that springs to mind was a small piece in Practical Classics saying that the Alfa 164 was the first front wheel drive Alfa. If you were a child, or teenager reading that why would you think any different?
This would seem an opportunity to mention the photo at the top of page 39 of the current issue. The spine has reduced the width of Prost’s Williams like some sort of ill considered FIA regulation change.
robwiddows:
December 19th, 2009 1:47pm
OK, that’s a fair point Alastair and of course we all want our media information to be as accurate as it possibly can be. I simply thought the example above (a few comments ago) was a bit on the picky side.
Talking to Mike Gascoyne this week ( for a feature on the new Lotus F1 team) he told me that he thought Jarno Trulli was the fastest of them all over just one single lap. I guess, if you were starting a team from scratch in mid-September then you’d want someone with experience, someone who knows the ins and outs of modern F1 racing. And Trulli must surely have amassed a very great deal of knowledge over the years. The jury is out on Kovalainen.
OK, so the new Lotus is not really a Lotus. But in some strange way, it’s nice to have a “Lotus” team back on the grid. And the new logo is green and yellow…………….and it has a Cosworth engine.
Meanwhile, will Schumacher sign for Mercedes-Benz before Christmas? Reckon he will. And I wonder if Raikkonen has crashed any Citroens yet? I am looking forward to seeing how he goes, as I’m sure are a great many others. I always thought that Jean Alesi would have made a wonderful rally driver and I predict the same for the man who shuffled out to make way for Alonso in Maranello.
RW
Alastair Warren:
December 19th, 2009 9:36pm
What a pity Trulli’s experience didn’t stop him going off at Melbourne while crawling around behind the Safety Car.
joe brown:
December 20th, 2009 11:11pm
PH,thanks for that explaination.
You have done for F1
joe brown:
December 20th, 2009 11:13pm
What Nero did for fire extinguishers
Frederico Pinheiro de Melo:
December 21st, 2009 5:42pm
Very good idea, these podcasts, congratulations. Especially for people like me, living in a country with very poor-quality journalism, it is great to be able to read your magazine and website, and now to listen to the podcasts. You cover just the right amount of modern racing for my taste, with the historical references which absolutely no-one else does as well. And which are essential.
If I may suggest a theme for a forthcoming podcast, how about tyres? First of all, who do you think will replace Bridgestone? Could that become a real problem – I mean is there a risk of no company coming forward –, or are there candidates in the wings already? And wouldn’t you like to see more than one supplier, as in the past? I know the arguments against (fewer variables in the equation), but, up to a point, I would argue that the more variables the merrier. Certainly I don’t think anyone wants F1 to go to just one chassis and engine supplier, do we, which would seem to be the logical conclusion to the argument against variables? So, why tyres?
As for guests, you must obviously be limited to a large extent by geographical accessibility, but if I had my wishes granted:
Chris Amon (my childhood hero); I’d like to hear his take on modern racing, but also remembrances of things past:
Mario Andretti, who, apart from anything else, must be great to listen to;
Dan Gurney, who can surely tell good tales of what it was like to move from the front-engined era in the late fifties, to the great Le Mans Ford MkIVs, to his own gorgeous Eagle Weslake in the late sixties;
Jackie Stewart – not my favourite driver at the time (Amon was, as I said), but certainly worth listening to.
Jacky Ickx?
David Coulthard (just because I remember reading a couple of classic cars tests he wrote for Autosport a long time ago, and he seemed very interesting and articulate; or were his articles ghosted?)
And someone from an older era, another hero of mine, Tony Brooks, a modest man in the best sense of the word, but by all accounts one of the fastest drivers in an age gorgeous cars, romantic circuits and daredevil pilots.
Of course, any of the above would also be good for your Lunch with … feature (I’m writing as a very recent re-subscriber after a decades-long hiatus, so you may have interviewed them recently already).
Happy Christmas
Frederico Pinheiro de Melo
Lisbon
PS: by the way, you were wondering whether you pronounced Mario Carneiro Neto’s name right. The way to pronounce the Portuguese diphtong ei is simply to drop the aitch from hey: ‘ey. For some reason, Brits often seem to switch the letters (Mario Carniero, Rio de Janiero). No big deal, just thought you might like to know.
Frederico Pinheiro de Melo:
December 22nd, 2009 3:21pm
Feliz Natal is spot on, Rob, thanks. And I’m glad you like Portugal.
Rob H:
December 23rd, 2009 9:56pm
Clive James.
I second that, get him in
john miller:
December 24th, 2009 3:16pm
Bit late on this one I’m afraid.
Glad to see everyone’s getting more relaxed as time goes on. But if Mr Roebuck ever travels by Lauda Air, I suggest he packs his own parachute underneath his string vest.
Are there prizes for guessing what the strange clicking noises were in the background? My bet is just the one frame of snooker, that was never actually played out to the finish.
I hope Sir Stirling wasn’t listening when you were discussing a point for fastest lap, as I’m sure that must stil rankle.
As for the predictive abilities of the group as a whole – well, all I can say is, abandon the lottery syndicate now chaps.
Questions for the next podcast? I’m sure we all know the one that is going to take up half the allotted time, don’t we?
Steve Selasky:
December 28th, 2009 2:27am
Rob,
Great podcast. For the future please bring the following guys:
Mario Andretti
Alain Prost
Also, can you devote some time to the subject of Villeneuve and Pironi. I have read differing accounts by two F1 journalist….
Kind Regards…….
Alastair Warren:
December 29th, 2009 8:04pm
If you were spending your own time and money to visit just one GP this year which one would it be and why?
joe brown:
December 30th, 2009 12:07am
Alastair/ if only one go to Spa;its a world on its own.
rob widdows:
December 30th, 2009 11:41am
Not sure if that question was aimed at me or not.
It’s a bit like choosing eight records for Desert Island Discs and then being told you can only take one of them to the island. Near impossible task.
But I would choose the Grand Prix of Monaco because you can get so close to the cars and because precious few events (of any kind) rival the sheer drama of the noise, colours and speed. It is one of the few places left on the calendar where you can truly appreciate the skill and bravery involved in driving a Grand Prix car on the limit.
But then again it might be Spa, or Monza. No, sorry, that’s cheating…………………………..
RW
Alastair Warren:
December 31st, 2009 12:08am
I was thinking of it as a podcast question suggestion, but I am thinking this could well be the year to go to a GP.
A.S.Gilbert:
January 1st, 2010 2:00am
Listen with delight to the Dec. podcast, first time doing so.
Such dulcet tones these days, eh Niki?
Buy my Motorsport at the newsagents, it’s often hard to find here in Canada and never current. Fabulous read, and a treat visually. The adverts are Country Life for the petrol head.
I do welcome the new season, no re-fueling, new teams, and combinations except in one regard.
The new points system is alienating. Winning should get greater credence, pole and fastest lap merit a point too!
Not everyone and their dog, tho’. Used to be indicative, getting points on your first GP start, now it stands to mean you had your passport stamped. 15-12-9-6-4-3-2-1 should do, and not confound history.
Remember the Jo Siffert Rouge et Blanc prize for drive of the race in the ’70’s?
Concept that’s worth a re-visit. Might be especially useful for the new teams, get a bit of ink, some encouragement. Season championship with a prize award at the FIA fete.
I was at Montreal the day Elio de Angelis took pole from Senna in the JPS June ‘85. He was visibly quicker and smoother that day. The post race interview was impish, yet very courteous. Elio allowed that he had such confidence in the total correctness of his team mate that he welcomed him to the front row, or some such.
“You’ll be a real prat if you barge me off” in the loveliest turn of phrase.
Good race that. Alboreto won from Johansson,and Prost. That weekend I fist thought Mansell had the real goods.
Stefan Bellof amazed in the Tyrrell, hurling it about while ringing its neck, also had a moments amusement with Manfred Winklehock at the far end of the circuit on Saturday morning, by that fall both those fine guys were lost.
I’ve digressed, lost in the moment.
For newer enthusiast tho’, attend some races long term it’s worth it.