Jenson Button's stonking lap at Imola 2004 gave him pole position. It was a first for BAR and he pushed Schumi into making a mistake during his qualifying lap, by his own admission. It was also the first pole position for Honda since 1992 when Senna won the pole for Honda at the Canadian Grand Prix. That was also the last year for Honda's factory effort in F1 until their return with BAR. Berger even won the last race of 1992 in his McLaren for Honda's last hurrah in Australia. But the fact that this year's race at Imola was a tribute to Senna, 10 years after, Button's effort for Honda warmed my heart, and made me think of Senna. I saw him race and qualify many times. I visited the pits and saw the dozens of Honda techs in their nice red shorts fussing over the Honda engines. Those were the days my friend.

 

It was also nice to see Berger driving Senna's 97T Lotus car around Imola.

Most people who weren't following F1 in 94 or didn't see the race never saw Barichello's crash which looked even more horrifying than Ratzenberger's or Senna's. As Steve Machette on Speed commented it took RB 2 or 3 years to fully recoved from that weekend.

Also ironic that Senna's best friend in F1, Berger, nearly died at the same corner in 89 when he went straight off into the wall and the car was engulfed in flames.

Quite sad to imagine that Bernie might move the Imola GP somewhere else. We will most likely get stuck with another one of those far off Middle Eastern races in the middle of some sand desert being watched by a bunch of people who drive on dirt roads.

I think the Speed crew said it best "Senna was F1"

Regards,

Jon P. Kofod (whose son's middle name is Ayrton)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FLATOUTRACING &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Quite sad to imagine that Bernie might move the Imola GP somewhere else. We will most likely get stuck with another one of those far off Middle Eastern races in the middle of some sand desert being watched by a bunch of people who drive on dirt roads.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yea .. why would we want that!?!??!?!? Motorsports are only for white people. Every1 else can suck camel nads!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FLATOUTRACING &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">... As Steve Machette on Speed commented it took RB 2 or 3 years to fully recoved from that weekend. ...</TD></TR></TABLE>

That isn't just supposition, either. By his own admission, RB was shaken up by the experience and didn't have a "good feeling" in a racing car for a long time.

It's interesting that Berger walked away from that fireball essentially unhurt...

K

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SPiFF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Yea .. why would we want that!?!??!?!? Motorsports are only for white people. Every1 else can suck camel nads! </TD></TR></TABLE>

Zsolt,

Not sure if you are being sarcastic or are offended by my post

I was not implying that F1 should only be for a certain race of people, but rather, a region or part of the world that has some connection to Grand Prix racing.

Open wheel racing is not a popular sport in most of the middle east. it is however immensly popular in Asia (China, Malaysia, ....). I don't have a problem with Bernie moving some Euro dates elsewhere because of the stupdi advertising laws but Bahrain???? I can think of other venues that have more relevance. How about bringing back Mexico, Argentina or for that matter the African continent which has a very righ motorsport history in places like South Africa.

Sorry if the post offedned you.

Regards,

Jon

 

I think Ratzenbarger's crash probably rivaled RB's but the TV camera angle mean that most viewers view of his car hitting the wall was obstructed, while RB's was viewed from a side shot for all to see.

I remember seeing his head baing shaken around like it was hanging from a thread.

Berger was very lucky that the firemarshalls got to him in 15 seconds. I think most suits at that time were rated for under 30 seconds of "burn" time.

Remember, Senna was killed by a suspension piece that came off the car. Had that piece not struck him he might still be alive, though doubtful he would have been able to continue his racing career.

Regards,

Jon

 

Admittedly, I probably saw only a handful of races between 1991 and 1995 (the Ramen years) and with Prost retired and Senna past, the names looked more like an Indy race for me between 1996-1999 so I just didn't bother to watch but back in the day ... oh my! I will forever think of Senna in a McLarren along with what is still my favorite phrase "the three most feared words in racing, Powered by Honda." I can't watch BAR and think its the second coming of the eighties turbo McLarrens, there is a second coming of that and its in all red. But dayaumn, it was fun seeing a Honder back up in the competetive fray but moreso, its great to see another guy that gets out of the car seemingly ecstatic with his chosen profession. If it was Imola's swansong, I feel for McLarren as I am sure they would have liked to have a more fitting tribute to Senna than a combined one point.

 

My Ramen years were 87 to 91 (I like that notation Adam, very fitting) so I was watching as many races as were available in the Senna prime. He was surely fantastic, no doubt about that. My favorite thing about him was that unlike Schumacher, he had a "human" side to him. For all his talent and equipment he DID make mistakes and he DID throw away races. Something that Schumacher really never does. He is an awesome driver but to me is so damned un-inspiring to watch because he is more like a machine than a human being.

That said, Schumacher is today's Senna and the red car has certainly filled the shoes of the red and white ones. The big difference today is that we have no Prost.

Scott, who has found F1 to become quite boring over the past few years. There is no drama and there is very little competition at the top. Its as inspiring and riveting as watching the weather in Arizona.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Catch 22 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My Ramen years were 87 to 91 (I like that notation Adam, very fitting) so I was watching as many races as were available in the Senna prime. He was surely fantastic, no doubt about that. My favorite thing about him was that unlike Schumacher, he had a "human" side to him. For all his talent and equipment he DID make mistakes and he DID throw away races. Something that Schumacher really never does. He is an awesome driver but to me is so damned un-inspiring to watch because he is more like a machine than a human being.

That said, Schumacher is today's Senna and the red car has certainly filled the shoes of the red and white ones. The big difference today is that we have no Prost.

Scott, who has found F1 to become quite boring over the past few years. There is no drama and there is very little competition at the top. Its as inspiring and riveting as watching the weather in Arizona.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well put... I followed F1 till my Ramen years (fall-94-98), and never really got back on track with F1 until '00-'01. From when I was 8 in '84 until '94 - I watched religiously.

I really enjoy F1 now - even though Ferrari and esp Schumacher dominate. He's hard to dislike (except for his machine-like precision when it counts, and all the winning) him, so well spoken and well tempered. Maybe he's not like that behind the scenes, I have no idea. But watching him handle JPM so nicely race after race (in reference to the post race interview with the top three finishers, esp this week. JPM is such a whiny baby with NO tact.) and his ridiculous accomplishments over the past ten years - wow.

But my real reason for watching over the last few years has been to root Honda on. Ever since David Richards has taken the reigns.. very exciting.

Its nice to see F1 honor Senna and to hear the remarks by team principals and drivers.

Chris - who can't believe its been 10 years, and can't believe I didn't watch F1 for 6 years.....

 

I heard on Speed that they were going to have pit passes available for the US Grand Prix. I have been going to F1 races for a long time and always seriously enjoyed visiting the pits, drooling at the machinery. But pit visits by the fans has been a thing of the past for a long time. If it is true that mere mortals can visit the F1 pits at Indy, might be a great time to see what Honda has been working on to out-qualify Schumi. Charge up the batteries on that camera and take your eyeballs (and earplugs) over there. Honda F1 power and those big fat turkey legs to boot. If you've never heard one of those motors live, you haven't shivered for real. Just makes your whole body tingle, and the resonance under the pit straight canopy when a bunch of them power up to full song under full load WOT is a marvel to behold. Makes you wanna drive a high revving Honda (what would I do with 10,000 RPM more)!

 

I'd go back to Indy....For the Turkey Legs!

Scott, who actually fell asleep during the '02 race...

 

must be getting old!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FLATOUTRACING &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Quite sad to imagine that Bernie might move the Imola GP somewhere else. We will most likely get stuck with another one of those far off Middle Eastern races in the middle of some sand desert being watched by a bunch of people who drive on dirt roads.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I have a bad feeling that F1 is migrating over to the "cookie cutter" tracks -- expansive, boring, no character. Like the cookie cutter ballparks in America from the '70s (that have since been demolished!!). Bahrain had no defining features. Malaysia only has that thing overlooking the hairpin before the front straight. No more Eau Rouge, no more run throught the forest at Hockenheim ('cause they've already sliced up the track ....)

Pat

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by descartesfool &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I heard on Speed that they were going to have pit passes available for the US Grand Prix. </TD></TR></TABLE>



I was planning on going anyways... that's good news if true.

I'll meet you and the turkey legs in the pits.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by poSEuR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Bahrain had no defining features. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Oh!!! You are sooooo wrong.
It has a HUGE defining feature... It sucks.

Its an entire track just like the south end of CMP (which so many people bitch about around here).
Straight - Hairpin - Straight - 90 degree - Straight - Hairpin - Rinse - Repeat.
Stop Go Stop Go Stop Go.
Reminds me of... hmmm... Oh yeah, the infield at Indy. Its pretty sad that the most exciting feature of that course is the part thats been there forever.

Scott, who thinks that in the name of safety the future of F1 tracks just might be these stop-go rythmless plots of asphalt. Thats right, develop the fastest, most expensive cars in the world and race them on 2.5 mile autocross courses. Excellent.

 

on the subject of honda and f1 does anybody have good history of honda's f1 efforts, accomplishments, funding, drivers, and teams? any info would be great

 

Here's an article with some pictures that sums up their history in F1 up until their third and most recent entry back into the sport at this link:

http://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s169/st19511.htm

There are alot of other sites that have information on Honda's F1 efforts and history.

 

I bought a used book while visiting Goodwood by Ian Bamsey, the editor of Racecar Engineering magazine. It is called McLaren Honda Turbo, a Technical Appraisal, F1's Greatest Turbocar, about Honda's F1 crushing technology of 1988. Jenson Button was there, but wearing a Renault suit!

 

can someone explain to me how mugen left f1 and is no longer there? I would like to see honda and mugen reunite in a f1 effort. I know mugen is not doing good financialy but this was all after they dropped out.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SikCivic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">can someone explain to me how mugen left f1 and is no longer there? I would like to see honda and mugen reunite in a f1 effort. I know mugen is not doing good financialy but this was all after they dropped out. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Could be that the pullout from F1 was just a precursor to and evidence of the Mugen's mismangement.

That link was very good reading.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ITRbroham &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Could be that the pullout from F1 was just a precursor to and evidence of the Mugen's mismangement.

That link was very good reading. </TD></TR></TABLE>

possibly but why not take care of the problems then come back with a f1 effort with honda. then later on mugen dealer options on cars. it seems so simple use your aftermarket company to make money in f1 then transfer the money and performance to lower level consumers, which become readily available

IDK maybe im just too into Mugen

 

i thought mugen was to honda as trd is to toyota?

is hpd then hondas aftermarket company?

hos can mugen not be hondas aftermarket company?