This time of year I wake up on Saturday thinking about who will make Q3 and how the start will go on Sunday. It is a ritual that I have kept since the day I watched Senna driving a wet track on slicks and passing everyone. Unfortunately not in a Ferrari.
There are many brilliant drivers in the history of F1 but two are at the top of my list. Two very different drivers, Mansell and Senna. Mansell seemed to approach every start with the attitude that he would not be denied the win. He was a perpetual underdog in his own eyes. That made him unpredictable in the paddock and on the track. When he was on the grid you could sense his single minded determination above all else.
Senna was also a passionate man with consummate skills. He was magic. He didn’t just drive a car they bonded to become a single entity. That last race at Imola is still fresh in my mind. Drivers walked away from crashes like that. Not this time. He deserved a better fate.
This year a new formula, new opportunities and an open championship. Could be a good year. Best wishes to all the greats, near greats and journeyman who ply their trade in F1.
