Auto Racing Commentary

Fernando Alonso`s victory at SPA, driving a Toyota in an endurance race was a dream of mine. I appreciate Alonso, but am not necessarily a die-hard fan of his. The dream has to do with something else. I began following racing at first timidly as an 8-year old in 1969, and my first full season of "serious" racing was 1972. By then I had become aware of the different categories, venues, and styles. I loved Formula 1, but I also loved the World Championship of Makes. That season, a large number of Formula 1 drivers still raced in the Endurance championship. Off the top of my head, I came up with this list of drivers that raced in both F-1 and the Prototype championship that year: Ickx, Regazzoni, Marko, Galli, De Adamich, Bell, Redman, Peterson, Schenken, Ganley, Cevert, Hill, Migault, Beltoise, Amon, Pescarolo, Pace, Soler-Roig, Revson, Merzario, Andretti, W. Fittipaldi Jr., Wisell and Stommelen. Out of many drivers used by Ferrari in its prototype campaign in 1972, onl

WHAT MAKES A FORMULA 1 DRIVER A CHAMPION? Carlos de Paula   With Michael Schumacher’s retirement, I am almost positive that we will have a new Formula 1 champion in 2007. Although I do like Fernando Alonso, and believe he is the most complete Formula 1 driver of the current era, after MS’ departure, I was not at all impressed with McLaren’s 2006 performance, so I am betting on a red car winning the title. See my preview on the site’s home page .   Michael’s retirement also brought about the search for the “new Michael”, just like there was a search for a “new Fangio”, “new Clark” and “new Senna”, in the past. You know, that driver you just knew was going to win the championship one day, sooner or later.   After 57 editions of the Formula 1 championship, one reaches the conclusion that there is no such a thing as a sure bet. The current crop of serious candidate for “certain champions” includes Robert Kubica, Lewis Hamilton, H