May 31, 2004

No- so-tired Tifoso.

I've been a "fan"-tifoso- if you like, of the red team from Maranello, ever since I saw Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt win the 24 hour race at le Mans many years ago.I watched the race on a black and white Ultra TV. It was sold as a "portable", but it must have weighed five stones. I can still recall the wonderfully enthusiastic commentary from Raymond Baxter. Since then it's been a roller-coaster ride. I saw Jacky Ickx and Clay Regazzoni struggle to get on the back row of the grid in a succession of  Grands Prix. "A Ferrari pit-stop", was synonymous with making a mess.
So, as Ferrari move towards yet another Championship, I refuse to join those who moaned about the tedium of yet another Ferrari one-two at the European Grand Prix this week-end. And worse still, those who think it sporting to fiddle the rules to handicap the Prancing Horse, rather  than suggesting the responsibility should be firmly on the other teams to improve.
And while I'm in grumpy old man mode I'd like to take a swipe at ITV commentator James Allen who seems to do everything he can to demonstrate that today's F1 Championship can only be enjoyed by  the punters if Ferrari is beaten.He almost burst a blood vessel at Monaco  when he saw Schumacher's Ferrari limp out of the tunnel with its front suspension terminally damaged  Last Sunday he told us before the race that the Brawn/Todt was wrong, and that Schumacher had only managed his astounding practice time because his fuel tank was virtually empty.The idea that Schumacher's ability was the reason, simply does not enter this man's head. Yet those not far behind Schumacher on the grid collected their fuel only a couple of laps later. Wrong Mr Allen!
  At the end of the  broadcast Allen suggested that those Brits visiting Silverstone this year unfurling their Union Jacks should support BAR and Button. He seems to have no idea how non-country specific is the support for F1 teams. There are many Brits who will support Minardi, Renault, BMW and of course Ferrari.
One of the reasons I enjoy F1 so much is that when I watch the races  I can leave my  patriotism, where it should be, at home.

posted by Tony @ Monday, May 31, 2004 0 comments