Viewing entries tagged
Iain Robertson

The French Connection: European GP


Also known as ‘The European Grand Prix’, while it was originally an honour provided to any one of the European circuits, at seven times, Italy had hosted the event more than any other nation. Ironically, once it was reintroduced in 1983, the European race was only intended to be a ‘stop-gap’, to fill a slot in the calendar arising from the cancellation of the US Formula One race scheduled to be held at Flushing Meadows, in up-state New York.

Tifosi, Tragedy & Triumph: The Emotions of Formula 1

Michael Schumacher sits quietly in the Mercedes GP garage before the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix. Photo © Mercedes GP As Henry Sanders, of Sports Illustrated (Dec 26th 1955), stated so appositely, “Sure, winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing!”, the pursuit of sporting perfection remains a pinnacle achievement for a surprising few. Yet, the support granted to it is prodigious. Worldwide Television audiences regularly top the hundreds of millions. Magazine and periodical coverage amounts to many hundreds of thousands of miles worth of column inches. However, transmitted by word of mouth, from one attending supporter to another, a crescendo builds and fanaticism grows on its back.