He played a big hand in securing the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and has an interesting perspective on Formula 1 at the moment, a perspective he’s not afraid to air.

Enjoy… We all certainly did.

Sir Stirling has broken both ankles, four bones in his feet and chipped four vertebrae after his lift malfunctioned. The door, which should have stayed shut, opened when the lift was a floor above and he fell three floors down the lift shaft.

With the assistance of Professor Sid Watkins, Sir Stirling was moved from the Royal London Hospital to one near his home where he underwent surgery on both ankles, which were plated and pinned. Sir Stirling is now comfortable in hospital, but it is expected that he will take up to six weeks to recover.

Everyone at Motor Sport sends their regards and wishes him all the best for a speedy recovery.

Founded in 1974, the roots of Formula Atlantic in North America go back to 1967 when the series first ran as the SCCA’s Formula B championship. The category’s heydays occurred in the mid-70s when Gilles Villeneuve, Keke Rosberg, Bobby Rahal and Danny Sullivan all battled for the championship, using the series as a springboard to Formula 1 or Indycars. Back then most Atlantic races were run in Canada and over the years the series never enjoyed much, if any, support from the American sanctioning bodies. For most of its life Atlantic was the orphan of American racing, shuttling from one sanctioning body to another as it suffered a long, slow decline.

The series was kept alive by Vicki O’Connor, who ran the championship from 1985 until the end of last year. Without O’Connor’s unflagging support the series probably would have failed many years ago. The Champ Car organisation revitalised the Atlantic series in 2006 with a new Swift chassis, Mazda/Cosworth engines and a US$2 million champion’s prize, but when Champ Car failed the Atlantic series found itself once again an orphan. Nor did the $2m bonus survive. The Atlantic series was sanctioned in 2008 and ’09 by IMSA and ran as a support event at a motley collection of ALMS, Grand-Am, IRL and other races. But without a strong calendar or a clear identity, and with the loss of the champion’s prize, the series fell into steep decline.

O’Connor hung in there but near the end of last year she finally threw in the towel and went to work for Bobby Rahal’s new Historic Motor Sport Productions operation. Vicki’s departure heralded Atlantic’s death knell. New series owner Ben Johnston hired some marketing types to try to keep the series going, but without O’Connor’s passion and commitment it was clearly on a road to nowhere.

“It’s just survival,” said O’Connor last autumn. “Hopefully things will turn around. There are a bunch of Atlantic cars that are just sitting around. People haven’t sold them. They’re keeping them but nobody’s running them because there’s so little sponsorship.”

Last week Johnston admitted defeat. He says he will keep the Atlantic series office operating and hopes to revive the series next year, but with no serious support from any of America’s sanctioning bodies and amid today’s glum economic climate the series is all but dead. A sad turn of events for American racing.

Schumacher’s comeback
Reaction from Germany and Italy

Greatest Grid ever?
Anthony Rowlinson on 2010 promise

What’s changed for 2010?
Adam Cooper reads the new rules

BBC – year two
Rob Widdows talks to ‘The Chain’ gang

Other features

Motor Sport Hall of Fame
A full report of our first-ever Hall of Fame event, and the four great names inducted

Lunch With… Derek Warwick
One of our British F1 heroes of the ’80s on those nearly-wins and success at Le Mans

Dario Franchitti
The Scot talks Indycar success, his difficult year in NASCAR and his admiration for JC…

Louis Klemantaski
The renowned photographer on his exploits with Collins and Parnell in the Mille Miglia

Road test: Aston Martin Rapide
New four-seater lacks pace but not comfort

Tony Southgate
Our exclusive extract from his new book recounts his first year with the Shadow team

Track visit: Deauville
The French resort town only hosted one Grand Prix, which was marred by tragedy

New Zealand Formula 5000
A hotspot for big V8s from around the world

Classic Racing Cars
Ferrari’s heavyweight – the Daytona

Now, I know better than anyone that making ‘greatest ever’ claims risks the wrath of many readers! So let’s be clear here: we’re not saying the 2010 is the greatest ever – we’re just asking the question! It should at least provoke some debate…

What isn’t in doubt is that this is the most anticipated F1 season for many a year – because of the strength of the line-up. Schumacher in a Mercedes versus Alonso in a Ferrari versus Hamilton and Button in McLarens versus Vettel and Webber in Red Bulls, not to mention true strength in depth throughout the supporting cast… We can’t wait for Bahrain on March 14.

As always in Motor Sport, we have one eye on the past as we look to the future, which is why we’d like to know how you think the grid compares to the great years of F1. Which is your favourite F1 season and which years featured the strongest line-up of aces? Do let us know what you think.

One decision for our season preview issue was particularly easy this year: who to put on the cover. Michael Schumacher isn’t exactly as well loved as some era-defining drivers from the past, but it cannot be denied that his comeback captures the imagination of anyone with even the slightest interest in F1. “So how will Schumacher get on, then?” is the question I’ve most been asked in recent weeks by anyone I’ve met who finds out what I do for a living, mostly from people with little interest in the sport, too.

In our preview, Adam Cooper has spoken to Schumacher’s closest aide to get the background story on the comeback of the century. Sabine Kehm has worked with Schuey for 10 years and she offers a fascinating insight into the sequence of events that led to the big return. The preview also features editor-in-chief Nigel Roebuck in typically entertaining and forthright discussion with Martin Brundle, Anthony Rowlinson on that ‘greatest ever’ grid and that man Cooper again on the new rules that will change the face of the races in 2010.

Away from modern F1, Simon Taylor meets Derek Warwick for lunch in Jersey, Eoin Young profiles Louis Klemantaski – one of the sport’s greatest photographers (and I’m safe on that hyperbole) – and design legend Tony Southgate brings us tales of Shadow, from his forthcoming autobiography.

All this, plus a review of our inaugural Motor Sport Hall of Fame, an event that promises to become an established curtain-raiser for many racing seasons to come.

Enjoy the issue.

He has been racing Sprint Cup cars for 18 years, finishing in the top 10 in the points in all but two seasons and winning more than US$109 million in prize money. Last year he was third in the championship behind team-mates Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin.

A few years ago Gordon signed a lifetime contract with Rick Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports, and he is currently negotiating a new contract with primary sponsor DuPont. Gordon is a partner in Hendrick Motorsports and part owner of defending NASCAR champion Johnson’s car.

“I’m a highly competitive person and whether I’m driving or not I want to be involved in racing,” Gordon told USA Today last week. “As we go further down the road these conversations will get more serious with Rick and Hendrick Motorsports about what my role will be.”

Gordon has been represented by IMG over the past 10 years but he’s moved this year to Just Marketing International. IMG has clients in many major sports, including golf star Tiger Woods, top NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and tennis diva Maria Sharapova, but Gordon was attracted to Just Marketing because the company is focused on motor racing. It was founded by Zak Brown and is based in Zionsville, Indiana with six offices in four countries.

The company manages and represents more than US$300m in annual sponsorships in Formula 1, NASCAR, the ALMS and IRL, and CEO Brown says he will be looking at global business ventures for Gordon to be involved in, not just sponsorship endorsements.

“Jeff’s the most recognisable [NASCAR] name internationally and he likes the global side of the business – and that’s a big strength of ours,” said Brown. “That’s the fastest-growing part of our business because it’s better to fish from a world economy, especially right now with the domestic economy not so good.”

Meanwhile, Gordon is focused on fighting team-mate and friend Johnson for this year’s NASCAR championship. Both are hoping to win their fifth titles. “To me, every year is about winning races and championships, and at this point winning five or however many championships isn’t really going to change my legacy,” says Gordon. “I want that legacy to be that I was a hard-charging driver who went out there and got the job done as good as anybody.”

Gordon led most of Sunday’s race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway but was beaten by Johnson, who scored his second win in a row. Johnson took the lead with 15 laps to go, while Gordon was beaten to second by current points leader Kevin Harvick.

Gordon and Johnson may not be the fans’ favourites, but their records have pushed them into a class of their own among today’s drivers. They are cool customers with analytical minds who are interested in all forms of racing, and they are emerging as the greatest American drivers of the modern era.

With his new management deal, Gordon now plans to establish himself as one of motor racing’s most recognisable global brands.

It’s interesting that, when forecasting the likely World Champion, most seem to be choosing between Schumacher, Hamilton, Alonso and Vettel – to be focusing, in other words, on one driver in each of the four top teams.

There’s no denying that, in the normal course of events, within a team one driver tends to assert his superiority over the group, to become the de facto number one, even if this is not officially acknowledged. And it’s a fact, too, that Michael, Lewis, Fernando and Sebastian have all shown themselves to be very keen on this thing of having the team revolve primarily around them. But I wonder if it’s going to be as clear-cut as some imagine.

Consider the ‘other’ driver in each team: Rosberg (Mercedes), Button (McLaren), Massa (Ferrari) and Webber (Red Bull). Of these only Nico has yet to win a Grand Prix, but then he has never – until now – had the car to enable him to do so. Shout me down if you will, but I have a suspicion that he will show a great deal better against Schuey than most appear to believe. Although Ross Brawn presided over a Ferrari team that for years clearly favoured Michael, he has publicly said that such will not be the situation at Mercedes.

Over at McLaren, Martin Whitmarsh has said the same about Hamilton and Button – and, again, I expect the performance gap between them to be far less than some suggest.

On to Ferrari. While I believe Alonso to be the best driver in the world, don’t forget that Massa – fully recovered – largely dominated Kimi Räikkönen, and came within a Toyota dry tyre of winning the 2008 World Championship. Felipe is cowed by no one these days, and quite right, too.

Finally, there is Red Bull: Bernie Ecclestone has predicted that Vettel will win the championship this year, and that’s not the silliest thing he has ever said, for Sebastian is prodigiously talented, with ambition to match.

I do, however, think it would be a great mistake to underestimate Webber. Because he’s in his thirties, and has been around a while, Mark is sometimes overlooked, but remember that last year he won twice – and that included a sound defeat of Vettel in Germany. Webber is Trulli-quick over one lap, and in a race no one fights harder. Twelve months ago he began the season with virtually no testing behind him, legacy of the badly broken leg sustained the previous autumn, but he never moaned about the discomfort, put up with his team-mate’s occasional tantrums, and simply put his head down and got on with it. I’m sure he will do the same in 2010.

Four top teams, then – but there are more than four drivers in the mix, and that’s what makes the forthcoming season so mouth-watering. And I’d add a final thought: if Renault comes up with competitive package, expect Robert Kubica – as talented as there is – to be in the thick of it.

If pushed, my money would be on Alonso for the title – but I’m not sure I’d bet very much…

Dear Nigel,
I’m going to be cheeky as I have two burning questions, hopefully you will answer them both?

1. I’m still a little mystified by Jenson Button’s transfer given his genuine affection for ‘his’ old team. My only theory is that he had a strong inkling that Michael Schumacher was on the way, Nico Rosberg would be demoted to test driver, and it would have been him against Schumacher – in a team run by Schumacher’s old buddy! Knowing how all Schumacher’s team-mates got treated, what would you do… any thoughts on the truth of that?

2. I’ve just read Crashed & Byrned, the book about Tommy Byrne – what a talent we missed out on! How do you think he measured up to Ayrton Senna? And why did no other Formula 1 teams pick up this guy after his McLaren test?
Tim Davison

Dear Nigel,
I confess to being a huge fan and admirer of Alain Prost, both as a person but also for his driving technique. Former team-mates Eddie Cheever and Keke Rosberg speak in amazement at how he managed to be so quick and smooth without them really understanding how or what he was doing. And former engineers, including John Barnard and Patrick Head, speak in awe of how easy on the car he was.

Have you ever been privy to information or been told first-hand exactly what Prost did differently and where it was he made up so much time? Was it under braking? Was it through certain types of corner?

I would be fascinated to know, as in-car footage of Prost doesn’t reveal the secrets to his technique.
Gavin

Dear Nigel,
Please tell me it isn’t true, the allegation that Pedro Rodríguez was running a 3.3-litre engine in his BRM when he narrowly beat Chris Amon’s March to win the 1970 Belgian GP.
If he had been running such an engine, how on earth would it have got past the scrutineers?

There’s no chance, I suppose, of retroactively awarding the win to Chris Amon? (One of the greatest racing drivers, uncrowned or crowned, I’m sure you’ll agree.)
David Goddard