Today, F1 Racing-live dot com has a very good article on evolving safety measures at Grand Prix circuits. I was going to write a little post on how things have developed in this area and knew immediately that I would need some relevant photos. But then this happened:

I was looking for a photo of Monaco to show the impossibility of having runoff areas there when I came across the picture below. At first glance it seems quite normal but then one notices some strange things about it. Since when have ordinary members of the public been allowed to sit and watch the race from the inside of the Loews hairpin, for instance?

At which point, we see the Mercedes just ahead of the two Williams and presume that this is the pace car and there must have been an incident somewhere to bring it out. Only the Williams team has caught it as yet. But then we see the parked cars before the hairpin and realize that this cannot be a race; it’s a demonstration run of some kind.

The picture was so unusual that I had to include it in this article and, while I was doing that, I decided to have a bit of fun with it:

Then, having made the guy in the pic ask the question, naturally I had to answer it with this:

It is, of course, Mansell giving Senna a lift back to the pits after winning the British GP of many years ago. Senna’s car had broken down a long way from home and “Our Nige” took pity on him on his victory lap. I am pretty sure that this would not be allowed today, just as they have long banned the practice of picking up your national flag for display on your winning lap.

In this three-week period between Grands Prix when nothing is happening and news gets thin on the ground, those of us suffering from F1 withdrawal symptoms can get some relief by delving into history at YouTube. This is a fantastic resource if you’re looking for old video clips of great races or drivers. Just enter the name in the search bar and, if the videos are there, they will show up in the results.

Here are three I found in a few minutes digging this morning:

A lap of Monaco with Senna. Who better to drive you through the streets of the principality than the master himself?

Senna holds back Mansell at Monaco in 1992. Mansell had a commanding lead until having to change tires ten laps from the end, allowing Senna in the uncompetitive McLaren to move to the front. The Williams was so much the quicker car that Mansell was able to catch Senna with three laps to go. The problem then was the minor matter of getting by him…

Hakkinen versus Schumacher at Spa. It’s a fair old battle but the real reason I include this one is that it has a wonderful in-car shot of the Eau Rouge corner, taken at full speed.

There are quite a lot of repeats amongst the videos as the most popular ones get copied again and again, but this is a sure pointer to something worth watching. And, every now and then, it is possible to stumble across a gem, a clip of some great moment remembered vividly from the past and now presented once more for our delight. How about this, for instance:

A compilation of highlights from 1967. All the old names are here and the cars as well. But look at the circuits – can you see any run-off zones or armco? They were brave men indeed, although I suspect the guy waving the flag at the start and end of the race was the bravest of them all!

Enjoy!

Of all the young drivers now jostling for a place in F1, the Polish star, Robert Kubica, seems the most likely to shine. Having already secured a seat with BMW Sauber after impressing as a test driver, he is now beginning to speak to the press about himself and we can see a personality emerging.

According to F1racing dot net, Robert sees the value of having a competitive driver as a teammate, rather than one he can beat easily.

“Of course your team mate gives you some sort of idea of the pace of the car, but it’s also true a good team mate will push you… You push yourself and he pushes you and that helps the development of the car, so it’s really important to have a good team mate.”

Of course, that’s true but it might be construed as slightly arrogant for a newcomer to say so. Clearly, Robert isn’t afraid to be tested against the best that F1 has to offer.

That is how it should be. All drivers enter the sport thinking they are the best and will be world champion one day. And they have to continue to believe that through all disappointments and setbacks, or their motivation will suffer. I can remember how Ayrton Senna was condemned as arrogant for some of his statements early in his career. He was the best and he knew it; it showed in his public pronouncements.

Ayrton went on to make good his words and our first impressions of him were soon lost in admiration for his skills. It is entirely possible that Robert is about to do the same. His performance in the German GP was good enough for us to think so, anyway.

He has the right team to demonstrate his ability too. BMW are hungry for success, innovative and getting better all the time. It would not surprise me if they become one of the top teams in 2007. And, if they do, I suspect that it will be Robert leading in their charge towards the front.

Those Brazilians have a pretty good record in F1. Apart from their world champions, there have been others, such as Carlos Pace, who were good but never had a car that was capable of winning consistently. And today Barrichello and Massa continue the tradition of quick Brazilians.

Nelson Piquet was the second Brazilian to win the championship, the first being Emerson Fittipaldi. And he was second too behind their greatest champion, Ayrton Senna.

Or was he? I have mentioned before that Piquet’s car control was phenomenal and there is a short video that proves it. Interestingly, the man he is fighting for position in this clip is Ayrton himself – and guess who wins. Piquet is in the white and yellow Williams, Senna in the black Lotus. The video quality is poor (and I must apologize for the Rolling Stones soundtrack) but one can still see Nelson do something in a be-winged F1 car that isn’t supposed to be possible – slide it through a corner.

It happened during the Hungarian Grand Prix of 1986. Have a look.