This is my exclusive Q&A area on the Motor Sport website where I can review and answer some of your questions and consider a few of the issues occupying the racing world. Feel free to ask away and I’ll do my best to answer as many as possible each month.
Best Regards
Nigel
Dear Nigel,
I know you are a friend and associate of Mario Andretti, surely one the most admirable pilots of all. I read recently some denigrating comments Andretti made regarding Steve McQueen’s participation at Daytona. I was saddened – it seems my hero might be human, but what is your view?
Paul Walsh
Dear Nigel,
A quick question: in the current Formula 1 grid is there any driver who, if they were in the same age group as you, you could see yourself being close to in the way you were with Gilles? Is there any that you could see yourself going to the pub with? I get the impression that Massa and Chandhok wouldn’t be the worst company in the world.
Mark Farrell
Dear Nigel,
Of all the drivers you have known over the years, who enjoyed the act of driving fast the most? Not the winning, but the actual experience of driving. In simpler terms, who was most likely to get out of the car at the end of a race, regardless of where they finished, with the words “That was fun!”?
Paul Gilfedder
Dear Nigel,
Wasn’t Carlos Reutemann the one who reneged on team orders and said that if he wasn’t there to win he might as well be raising sheep in Argentina? What do you make of Ferrari’s team orders, and the submissive stance of both Massa now and Barrichello in the Schumacher years? To me this is a disgrace.
Sergio Botero
Dear Nigel,
I would love to hear your thoughts/opinions on Lewis Hamilton. For me, his raw talent, driving style and never-say-die attitude are strongly reminiscent of Gilles Villeneuve – I hope this is not being sacrilegious to you as I know you and Gilles were close. Anyway, at Istanbul, watching the pass on Lewis by Jenson Button when the former was clearly assuming a ‘hold station’ situation was in play, Lewis’ subsequent downbeat/subdued attitude on the podium was very reminiscent of Imola ’82… Thanks for the great articles and podcasts!
Rich Gray
Dear Nigel,
With regards to a venue for the returning USA Grand Prix, would you rather have seen it go to:
a) A new circuit built to modern Formula 1 needs with similar appeal to the classic American road courses (as we are led to believe the Austin track will be, and how Monticello could have turned out).
b) One of the classic American road courses altered to fit modern F1 needs.
c) Another street circuit.
d) A return to Indianapolis.
Chris Ward
Dear Nigel,
In days gone by there used to be non-championship F1 races. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to resurrect these events to blood new drivers and have them in countries that no longer stage GPs, so that fans could witness an F1 car in action? The event could compose of a couple of qualifying heats and then a final race.
Toby Coulson
Dear Nigel,
I am heading out to Eldora Speedway tonight to watch Jeff Gordon, Tony Kanaan, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and endless others race on the half-mile dirt oval for charity. I was thinking how great it would be to see a Räikkönen, Vettel, Kubica or even a Hamilton out there on the dirt. I know of your love of dirt track racing and was curious as to who you’d like to see, past or present from F1, taking part in such an event, as well as who you think would do well getting lose on the dirt.
Michael Spitale
Dear Nigel,
If you could be transported back in time to the start of any season of motor racing, which would you choose and why?
Richard Shield
Dear Nigel,
This question has nothing whatsoever to do with racing, despite me following your writings for many years, most recently in Motor Sport, and being an ardent fan.
I seem to remember hearing that you are a big fan of Bob Dylan, is this true? If so, you have…
It’s been Formula 1 all the way for Nigel – he started covering the sport in 1971. In the mid-1970s he worked for Graham Hill’s Embassy F1 team, before joining Autosport for whom he has written over 400 Grand Prix reports. Nigel joined Motor Sport full-time on January 1 2008. As well as reporting on F1 for national newspapers, he has written 19 books on motor racing. His insightful writing and candid interviews with the great names in racing have made him one of the recognised authorities on F1.
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