03/11/2008
NEWS STORY
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Wow! What an amazing Grand Prix. You couldn't make it up, could you? I have not missed a Grand Prix in 23 years, and certainly don't remember anything like this Brazilian Grand Prix.
I was cream-crackered at the end of it. As a commentator, you have to examine every detail. Certain things are easier than others. There's a dark car under a darkening sky on your screen. Is that Vettel, Bourdais, Webber? (Not Coulthard, he's already out - sadly.) And there's a McLaren ahead of him. That must be Vettel catching Hamilton, not a sight you're exactly used to. Still, there's a flash of lightning, so who knows?
Now this Toyota that's staggering along. Is that the crippled Trulli, going backwards forever, or is that Glock, and has he made a pit stop for wets, or is that why he's so slow - because he's still on dries? So many questions, so little evidence, until the cars flash across the start/finish line after 71 laps. Massa takes the chequered flag, he's done all he needs to, he's World Champion. But only for 18 seconds. Alonso, Raikkonen, 21s to Vettel - wow, what a job he did - then…. Hamilton, where's Glock? He's taken 14s longer on that last lap than the rest, he's on dries, slid wide, Hamilton goes through, he's World Champion!
Emotional scenes in the pits, brilliantly covered by FOM TV. The swings and roundabouts, emotional roller-coasters, wonderful stuff. Has there ever been anything like this? Mexico 1964, they say. I'm plucking at details there, but it's when Clark blew up on the last lap? Is that right? Sorry if it isn't. I was at Malvern at the time.
I digress. It suddenly goes flat. Even the podium is low key. Massa wins in Brazil. We try to gee it up. He tries to gee it up. Boy would anyone be happy to win their home Grand Prix? There are tears on the podium, but that doesn't help. Alonso's miserable, his old teammate is World Champion, and Kimi is… well, Kimi.
The world's broadcasters don't get to see the man who is being hailed as the new World Champion. He's not on the podium, he doesn't get to the unilaterals, he's not in the press conference. Down at McLaren, where Lewis is finally presented to the press and TV, the word comes back that it's a shambles. People are coming to blows, Lewis is withdrawn for his own safety. "Yes, we've anticipated this scenario that he might not be in the unilaterals," says McLaren's media team, who then reveal a total inability to cope.
At least, they say, there isn't a protest. The result stands, Lewis is World Champion, or will be when he's hailed as that in early December. This is a throw-back to the days of Jean-Marie Balestre who never acknowledged the World Champion until he was crowned at the FIA prize-giving. I'm not the best person to talk about this, but suffice it to say that my media colleagues are up in arms. Letters will be sent.
So how did we get here, on this crazy, crazy weekend. 11.30 on Sunday morning, three and a half hours to go and there are bagpipes in the pit lane, dark clouds are gathering, the wind is getting up and Porsches are racing at Interlagos. I'm more interested in my son's debut racing a Ginetta at Silverstone. This is just a snapshot of a surreal Brazilian Grand Prix, just another moment in time from Planet Paddock.
We've been here for three days, arriving at the circuit - just - straight from the airport, straight into Thursday morning's press conference with a fine variety of drivers. There was a slightly downbeat Lewis Hamilton, perhaps not wanting to explain, yet again, his feelings coming into this race, and failing to answer my point about the conflict of interests between 'only' having to finish fifth to clinch the Drivers' title and trying to win the Constructors' championship.
Then there was Nelson Piquet, surprisingly chatty given that he's usually so shy - even Flavio Briatore sometimes inquires of Nelson if there has been a death in the family. Felipe Massa was as chatty as ever, happy to explain his situation. And then there were the old hands, Rubens Barrichello still hoping to hang on as a Grand Prix driver, David Coulthard in his last Grand Prix.
Which perhaps brings us back to the bagpipes, but a little too soon! Next day, we saw David with his reliveried car - Red Bull given a bye from the other teams for running two different liveries - and Rubens wearing a helmet in the colours of his old mentor Ingo Hoffman who is about to retire from racing this year.
I had to re-introduce myself to Ingo to hear the story of their friendship, so I must have changed slightly over the years! When Ingo returned to Brazil after his international career which culminated in a worthless Formula One drive with Copersucar, he opened a small race shop near Interlagos and the seven-year old kid who lived next door was always popping in. That kid was Rubens. Ingo gave him a helmet which he proudly wore when he went go-karting and the pair have remained huge friends ever since. Rubens, typically, was repaying the compliment by wearing Ingo's helmet colours in this Brazilian Grand Prix as the super successful Hoffman is retiring from the national touring/stock car championship this year. Might he be running Rubens in the series instead? Time will tell.
Friday's press conference saw the team principals take the stage and there were some interesting items hidden away in the 35 minute chat. Flavio Briatore was looking surprisingly tousled for a style icon, and completely failed to answer my question about the teams suggesting a reduction in testing. It's currently capped by a 30,000km limit, but there have been suggestions that that could come down to a more sensible 15k. But then it's been suggested that Flavio has said it should be 20k for fear of giving in to the FIA too much!
The constructors were very keen to emphasise their unity, but Joe Saward asked why so much of their negotiations was being revealed. The fact is that not much of it is coming from the constructors, it's coming from the FIA, but the constructors present were too polite to point that out. Even so, it's clear that there are some concessions being made by the constructors, and perhaps someone might have explained that the FIA's suggestion of a common engine and drivetrain was only helping the constructors with an alternative in their economy drive.
That evening, staff of the Red Bulletin, the Paddock newspaper, were held up at gunpoint on their way home from the circuit. This was only a kilometre or so from the track, a route that everyone takes. They stopped at traffic lights and were suddenly surrounded by armed bandits, trying to smash the car windows with guns but they wouldn't break. The car was blocked in by other traffic, but when the lights changed, the car drew away and that was the end of it. This isn't the first time this has happened, of course. Williams and Toyota mechanics have been attacked in the past, so it was no surprise to see mechanics arriving in civvies from the circuit. Fortunately the car I'm riding in only has two doors, and we put all our gear in the boot.
Slightly more amusing was the 'trophy' that was presented to David Coulthard at the drivers' briefing. Apparently David is a bit of a stickler for bollards, so one was found in China and mounted on a smart plinth with the inscription 'presented to David Coulthard in recognition of his services to bollard sales worldwide from all your friends at the FIA (Federation Installation de l'Apex.)' There was a shout of 'it's not big enough' from Fernando Alonso!
Saturday and we had a fine qualifying session, with Jarno Trulli becoming the wild card. He was later heard to say to Massa 'if you screw up the start, I'll leave some room for you on the inside of the first corner.' I found it slightly confusing that Lewis Hamilton was happy with fourth, having said that he wanted to win this from the front. Is the car set up for the wet? How fuel-heavy is it? And how important is the Constructors' trophy in all this?
What has become apparent over the last few weeks - and it's underlined by the story above - is that Lewis doesn't have many friends among the other drivers. The fact is that he's arrived with too much success too early. He's afforded a status above that which some feel he may have earned. You may feel some other drivers are jealous of this Johnny-come-lately.
He himself has reiterated what I said a race or two ago, that he's not in Formula One to make friends. But you need friends in sport. I'm reminded of watching something called the Madison at the Olympics. It's a kind of team cycling event but you need help from other teams to do well. Britain did do very well in cycling - too well - and no one wanted to help them in the Madison, and we lost, dismally. Lewis needs friends, and certainly didn't need enemies as we came up to this final race…
British journalists, meanwhile, were working flat-out. In some cases there are two journos per newspaper, the regulars being joined by their top sports writer. But with a two hour time difference between Brazil and Britain, and the race finishing close to five in the afternoon local time, no one has much time to file, particularly given two different scenarios, so they are all writing two sets of stories, one hard luck-style should Lewis lose, one triumphant should he win.
Sunday morning, and I get to the circuit around 9am even though there are six hours - six hours! - to the race. At least I'm involved in the drivers' parade (that's me in the maroon shirt and cream slacks above) this time. Get to interview Lewis, DC, Rubens, Jarno, Felipe (and get him to sing his theme song) and others on the truck. Great atmosphere, so much constant noise. Even Lewis seemed to draw something from it. Just afterwards, almost exactly an hour before the start, there was a massive clap of thunder. How does Bernie do it?
And then the race, a great Grand Prix, a great finale. The sour taste comes later, as the news is disseminated worldwide - or isn't. There's something wrong with communication here, and if those in charge in the various organisations can't handle it, perhaps they should seek specialist help. What a marvellous product we have. Is it being portrayed as such? I'm not in a position etc etc etc….
Bob Constanduros