Wednesday June 14, 2006

Racers - an excellent book by Richard Williams

The backdrop of this book is the 1996 Formula one season where Damon Hill won his first and only championship. Although the book historically follows the 1996 season it is just a backdrop to allow Williams to intimately delve into the three drivers characters who were favourites to win the championship; Hill, Schumi and JV the latter in his rookie year for the Williams team. He also introduces and discusses other drivers and team personel in F1. Richard Williams is himself is a journalist for the Guardian newspaper.

The books starts with an analysis of each of the three drivers; where they came from and in the case of Hill and JV their fathers both of whom where racing drivers in their own right. You get the feeling that Hill was racing for his father to follow his footsteps wheras JV was racing for himself. For Schumi 1996 was his first year with Ferrari and it was going to be a learning experience for him and the team. After the first race in Melbourne where JV nearly won his first race there was a big stir in the paddock on how well he had got used to the different style of F1 cars unlike Michael Andretti who came from America ( like JV an ex Indy driver) and had a torrid season - which he did not complete. Next the book goes to Argentinia where we read about possibly the best driver of all time - but certainly in his era Fangio. The thing that stands out for me was his age when he drove and also what gentlemen the drivers of that era were.

The story conntinues in Imola where Hill's teammate of 1994 Senna died tragically. William's tells us about Gerhard Berger, Senna's teammate still driving for Benneton in 1996. This guy was a joker and played many tricks on Senna and it is said he taught Senna how to laugh. He let loose a dozen frogs in Senna's hotel room one day and after they had all been caught he said "only another twenty to go - and have you found the snakes?". We then travel to Monaco where Stirling Moss recounts a story of a girl by the side of the racetrack with pale lipstick on who he waved too as he drove around the street circuit! Here was a track Hill had never won on and when leading that race his engine blew denying him victory. A Ligier driven by Panis won in what must have been the lowest number of cars finishing any GP. In this chapter William's discusses John Barnard who was the designer of the Ferrari in Schumi's early years with the team.

Following on from Monaco we are taken to Silverstone where Williams reminds us you should always take a mac and sunbloc as you never know what the weather will do. Being in the UK he uses this chapter to tell us about the strong British motorsport industry with Patrick Head and Tom Walkinshaw being profiled. Belgium follows next where Hill's manager Michael Breen gets to hear that Williams will not be wanting Hill to drive for them in 1997. This story then continues in Italy where a press conference is held to discuss this news. For Hill this doubled the pressure on him as his points lead had been whittled away by his teammate and a DNF in Italy for him was his own fault.

The climax of the story heads first to Estoril where JV beat Hill and that meant the championship was to go to the wire in Japan. We hear about Michael Stepney who is still a chief mechanic with Ferrari. Back in Japan Hill shocks everyone by announcing he is driving for the Arrows team next year. On the track he wins the race and the championship. Williams then wraps the book up with his thoughts on how F1 was in 1996 and back in the earlier days, the drivers, the risks, the salaries, publicity and so on. He goes to Heathrow to join the crowd who are there to welcome Hill back. His son attends to and rushes off to ask Hill for a autograph which he gets. The next day his son says "did I dream I met Damon Hill last night?" and then sees the autograph to see that he did. As Williams says "thats what it is all about". Good book.