Michael Schumacher starts the 2001 season as a Ferrari World Champion, and the Scuderia as champions.... How fast time flies! Can't wait for the weekend.
Well thankfully we don't have to go back THAT far for some Ferrari championships. 2007 & 2008 - Constructors Championship 2007 - Drivers Championship We can thank Kimi and Felipe for those.
Hey Brian I was 35, 10 years ago and remember the domination. Actually being at the first Indy GP of 2000 when Michael won was something I will never forget. Great group of guys, tifosi all around and poor Mika blowing up a MBZ Engine while leading.
I don't know about anyone else, to me it was more satisfying to cheer on the buildup years from '96-'99 and then the championship in 2000 than the next few seasons of Michael and Rubens winning most of the time. Each year of the buildup the car got better and you wondered when the inevitable championship would be won.
Michael winning Indy in 2000 was something special. Unfortunatley I had to watch it on tv, but was still exciting. I remember seeing the article in the LA times the next day on the front page of the sports section. Friends and relatives who knew very little about MS and F1 all of sudden were interested in the sport.
...they ran Imola, Magny-Cours, the real Hockenheim and A-1. A clear regression in terms of venues over the last decade.
No doubt. A shame that today's younger generation only see the bland tracks like Turkey etc of today..... You can't replace the look of the Italian villas around Imola, or the Austrian hillside etc The photos from those tracks alone were more satisfying than alot of today's races.....
Gheesh, look at the pics from the 60's, THOSE were the years! Hundreds of people with tents set up on the hillsides, some maybe 50' from the track.. youtube has a ton of it.
I some ways, I wish I had been around back then to experience a variety of things I can only see on video or catch a glimpse of at historic races. Would have also loved to have witnessed Testa Rossas and the like at Mille Migilia, although I would have watched from a safe vantage point!
Funny story; 10 years ago our son was born. The excitement of Schumi winning the title the previous fall was still fresh. (Earnhardt had died the previous month so as a race fan, emotions were raw) The night before our son was born (a day early) I decided to stay up watching the Malaysian practice (or qualifying, can't remember); anyhow I was EXHAUSTED as I went to bed at 4:30am. Of course a half hour later my wife woke me up as contractions started.... KnowIng what she went through in giving birth, I didn't dare comPlain that i was dead tired due to watching F1 all night and morning..... Thx for the thread.....
+2 I was the ripe young age of 36 yet with the new 'crowd' I'm left pondering the true passion for F1 amongst them. Must get back home to Houston soon and watch some of the classic late '70's and early/mid '80's GP's I have taped. "CRAP another gray hair!!!!"