http://img369.imageshack.us/my.php?image=diapo10146595dw2.jpg as titled, i dont recall seeing this before. which race was it, and why? thanks
2001 Itallian GP just after 9/11. Ferrari's acknowledge and respect to those killed 9/11. Image Unavailable, Please Login
...I guess you havent been around much do you? Monza 2001...right after the WTC towers were atacked...in a respectfull gesture to the victims. Only Ferrari did manage to do that but Michael didnt even wanted to race.
i started following F1 in 2003, so, yeah, that was a bit before my time. I can see the black nose, but why removing all the sponsors decal? thanks for the info they have a smaller black nose cone when the pope died, that, i remember...
...it was something in mourning respect because that race was just that very same weekend... and the statement was to say that ferrari was there only for the sporting spirit rather than making money. ...but talking all sponsors to decline using the logos for that race, was very significant...not only for marketing reasons...what a sad race that was. ...and yes...when the pope died they wore a little black on the nose...but it was a fact of life not some insane terrorist attack.
...nobody wanted to race...but they HAD to race...Montoya won, and did the highest speedtrap and fastest lap ever because everyone was just cruising to get over with it...they are all profesional drivers, but they are HUMANS too. and yes, only Ferrari was capable of doing that.
Autoweek ran a special back page showing a crewman stripping the Team truck's logos also.... Also correct that Luca mentioned in a later Autoweek interview that he had to urge MS to compete, Luca's son had actually been working at the WTC for some company and was transfered only weeks before the tragic event. CART was running in Europe that weekend IIRC, they also had special ceremonies at the Track. The world has changed a lot since then..........sigh.
here's another question, probably related, at least i thought it was. which race was it that all the teams scored american flags on all of their cars? originally, I thought it might be this race, but i guess not... was it the 2001 USA GP? happened awhile after 911?
It was a weird weekend. I got married on Sunday Sept 9th, the towers were hit on Tuesday Sept 11th and I was at Monza with my soon-to-be ex wife on Sunday Sept 16th. On Saturday Sept 15th Alex Zanardi lost his legs in a crash at the CART race in Germany. I seem to remember that Michael tried to get all the drivers to agree to not overtake during the 1st lap of the race as he was worried about someone getting hurt so soon after 9-11 and Zanardi's crash. Also a marshall had been killed in the previous year's race at Monza. Michael couldn't get all of the drivers to agree so the race went ahead as usual. I was stood just behind the fence next to the track at the start and the atmosphere was really strange. I remember fearing for the lives of the drivers as they started the parade lap - I'd never felt that before or since. I guess that's how it felt watching a race in the 1970's? Montoya won and I don't think they sprayed any champagne on the podium.
Yes it was, although I don't think all the cars carried flags. I don't think it was that coordinated. Some drivers had special tribute helmets - I remember Trulli's.
If I remember correctly, the only other team to acknowledge 9/11 on their cars at the 2001 Italian GP was either Jordan or Williams, with an American flag decal. I thought it strange the Mercedes, Toyota, and Honda, with their presence in the USA didn't do anything.
...I had Forgot Zanardi...Damn. No wonder that great song goes ..."Wake me up when september ends..."
Now my curiosity has peaked, how was the monza gp race. was everyone gunning for it? or just like aforementioned, that everyone was just taking it easy and get it over with?
Hardly. All of the teams had some sort of memorial that weekend. Jordan ran huge American flags on its flanks, for one.
I'm not totally sure, it's hard to say, but Michael for one, did seem like he just wanted to get it over with. Everyone else looked like they wanted to get on with the business at hand. I guess in any sort of sport, whether you want to be doing what you are doing or not, something inside you clicks and you do what comes naturally. I would think most guys were going for it. Montoya was awesome that day.
i recall MS running a pic of the US flag on his helmet. i think it was to show them he's support at the US GP that year.
At first I thought you were wondering why Montoya was trying to make a bonzai move into Michael What I remember about the USGP that year was that it was the first large-scale event in the States following 9/11. Very strange feeling, yet comforting at the same time.
