17/05/2010
NEWS STORY
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At a time when much is being made of the fact that in getting pole and winning the Monaco GP, Mark Webber has emulated his hero, and fellow countryman, Jack Brabham…
'Black Jack' last won the Monaco event in 1959, going on to win his maiden title even though he only secured one other win that season, the British Grand Prix at Aintree.
However, fast forward eleven years to the 1970 Monaco Grand Prix, when the Australian was locked in an epic battle with Austrian Jochen Rindt.
With a few laps remaining, Brabham appeared to have won the fight and was cruising to certain victory when he lost time behind Jo Siffert, who he was lapping for the second time that afternoon. Rindt closed to within 5s of the Australian veteran and over the next couple of laps continued to close the gap, though he was fast running out of time.
TV coverage of F1 was rare back then, but Monaco was usually one of the races covered, then, as now, the jewel in the sport's crown. Those watching will never forget the sight - on the final lap - of Brabham leaving his braking too late and sliding into the straw bales at the Gasworks hairpin, later to become Rascasse. Rindt swept by to take a famous victory, while Brabham was at least able to salvage second place.
As we consider yesterday's verdict from the Race Stewards, one has to wonder what would have happened had Mark Webber encountered a similar problem as he exited Rascasse, be it clouting the wall or suffering a failure. Would the rest of the field have had to hold station behind the Australian, waiting until he could get his car over the line?
As the furore over Schumacher's penalty continues one has to wonder whether F1 is there as a sport or merely an extremely expensive photo-op.