ALFAGTV6.COM

[mjr]

As Im sure many of you Alfa nuts out there followed Ayrton just as I did. today I give thanks. Thanks for the memories Ayrton, Still the best driver of all time IMO. RIP

[Fernando]

Late reply I know.Have to agree with you MJR,Ayrton was my all time favourite driver.I still remember sitting there on a Sunday morning trying to hold back the tears of happiness when he crossed the line at Suzuka 1988 to win his first drivers title.

I still sometimes daydream about seeing that yellow helemt behind the wheel of our beloved Ferrari grand prix cars...

[mjr]

agree whole heartedly fernando. I have been meaning to have some sort of discrete senna badge made up for the GTV for ages now, just to put on the boot lid, but dont know what?

have a watch of this. once past the sad bit, its a great watch, juts class senna

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsp ... 027912.stm

[Fernando]

Stuart Kidgell,he of twin turbo GTV6 fame here in South Africa,had a sticker of Senna's helmet on the drivers side back window and his helmet design was done on Senna's colours.Even his t-shirt under his racing overalls had Senna's famous S logo. That just cemented 'legendary' status in my eyes as a fellow Alfa nutcase.

The good thing is that Stuart could certainly pedal a GTV6 like few people I have ever seen,but I digress.

Thanks for the link MJR,great to watch.

What's your take on the current season ?

[mjr]

hmm, I never thaught of that, a helmet sticker (not literally!! Im not that much of a fan!! )

current F1 season? ummm, not sure what to make of it really. Its nice to see brawn GP on top, but I have to say what the heck is going on at Ferrari???! since john todd went, they have totally lost the plot, with one screw up after another!!. Kimmi needs a serious motivational wake up call too! I think KERS is a joke, it's not a level playing field, either all should have it or none!

Mclaren have finally learned their lesson! williams need a big kick up the ass! and renault are the pretenders as usual.

I think all the teams are going to struggle to beat Brawn, simply because Ross Brawn is a genious when it comes to stratergy. someone should employ Brundle as a stratergist, he calls it spot on every single time.

If they want viewings, they should replace all the drivers for one race this season with Prost, schumi,mansell, berger, piquett, hill,villneuve etc, and race at Kyalami, that would be cool. I bet Mansell or schumi would win

[Fernando]

Have to agree with you on that score.I mean I felt for poor Jenson watching after his Honda had retired from last years Brazilion GP.Then Honda pulled out I wonder what was going through his mind ? Did he,in even his wildest imagination,think he would be racing a Brawn car with Mercedes power and winning grand prix!!

Kers doesn't look like much to me right now either and it is not a fair fight right now.

As for Ferrari,man,this is one of those seasons we just have to take it on the chin and hope they get the full diffuser redesign a.s.a.p.Barcelona was at least a partial step in the right direction but as for team tactics...my word what a joke. Mclaren are taking some strain now

Well lets see what happens this weekend in Monaco.

What ever happened to the Masters GP series.I still went and watched Mansel have an epic race against old Emerson Fittipaldi at Kyalami a few years back.

[SimonB]

They are all setting up the F1 circus outside my window at work as I am writing this... Can't wait for Sunday! I wonder how serious Ferrari was in threatening to quit F1... I was a big Senna fan too I can't believe its 15 years. Does anyone remember the '84 Monaco GP with Senna in a Toleman catching Prost in the rain?

[Fernando]

Hi Simon,I sure do.I still have my copy of Autosport that covered the race Remember how Mansel smacked the barriers going up the hill from St Devote ?

It's an epic sporting weekend for me.I get to watch qualifying for the Monaco GP and straight after my rugby team,The Bulls,take on the Crusaders from New Zealand in the second Super 14 semi final.

Enjoy the race and Forza Ferrari.

[mjr]

bring it on. i'd like to see Rubens win.

I remember that race too. this will make you jeleous fernando in July I have managed to blag sitting in Senna's 86 JPS lotus at Silverstone, whilst it is started up and run through its warm up routine in the garage. That is going to be a very special moment. I have been told I might get the same treat for Schumi's 94 Benneton too if I behave myself. both will be parked next to each other in the same pit garage. mmm boys toys!

[SimonB]

The old F1 cars sound wonderful. I was at a Formula Renault race in Valencia a few years ago and they started up a 70s Turbo F1 Renault while I walked past. What a noise! The old guys who looked after them were grinning like mad!

[mjr]

yeah the early turbo v6 engines were fantastic. the renault 1.5v6 24v turbo was a stunning engine, but I also liked the ferrai v12! first grounbreaking car on the circuit with electronic sequential box in 1990???, but ultimately proved to be made of cheese didnt it!!, costing mansell a championship too! awsome sound though!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIk0DyL9 ... re=related

[Zamani]

First time I watched F1 was when Eddie Cheever and Patrese was driving the Benetton Alfas. I think Alboreto and Arnoux were in the Ferrari, I was like 8 or 9 back then. And the big winners were Rosberg, Mansell, Lauda and Piquet. can't quite recall the exact details then. Teo Fabi and Piquet (I think) were with Brabham BMW. Osella (Alfa engine?) was still there, driven by Ginzani (sp?).

Never liked Senna's personality, but I cannot deny that he is a good driver, probably the best of all the drivers when he was at his peak. I remember in Suzuka he and Prost didn't finish (I think) because they crashed into each other. If I am not mistaken, both still in McLaren.

[mjr]

yeah "THE" famous incident. It was senna's fault completely. he crashed into prost on purpose and admitted it afterward. if I remember rightly, he did it out of sheer frustration because, fia's ballastere and the organisers of the gp, changed the position of pole position to the dirty side of the track the morning before the race. when Senna found himself on the dirty side of the grid, he was absolutely furious, and decided he would go for it in turn 1 regardless of the consequences, to get back at the organisers, and win the championship. That was a side to his character that was rather unsavoury....but... he did make his point, even if it was at 130mph. the only guy he never tried that on was Mansell, since Mansell was even crazier than ayrton

[Fernando]

Boy do I remember that race only too well.Nearly chocked on my coffee that early in the morning. Talk about a quandry as I love Ferrari but was also an Ayrton fan...

Simon I still recall my uncle allowing me to bunk school to take me to Kyalamy for a Formula 1 test session.Got Nelson Piquets autograph that day.I remember standing right next to the Brabham-BMW when they started it up. I couldn't believe it idled at 5000rpms.

MJR.... Enjoy.