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The traditional season ending F1 Drivers Group
photograph taken at Adelaide. Although future F1 World champion Nigel Mansell's
missing from the 26 driver lineup. (Image source: dailymail.co.uk)
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Pretty G-Damn certain it had a lots to do
with the mistake of getting up at ZERO DARK-30 for the ANEMIC (2017) Yabba
Dabba Du formula 1 season finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Having primarily awoken and Stumbled to thy
Telie' in deference to it being Peacock-lite's', nee NBC Sports Network final
F1 Broadcast; Remember Them? As I wished to hear "the Boyz', aka Leigh
Diffey, 'Ol Hobbo', aka David Hobbs and Professor Matchett calling a race Juan'
last time...
Thus I found myself recalling how it was the
Nightcap; Err "Morning Glory?" to the finish of my first Full F1
season thirty years ago, when Messers Bob Varsha and David Hobbs actually
called the races live on location for ESPN! While the Pitlane was patrolled by
the mighty Biz', aka John Bizziano.
With the Funniest part 'O thou memories of
this season being able to still recall the season's calendar I made upon an 8.5
X 11-inch sheet of plain white Zerox copy paper. Being most proud of my very realistic Heads On
red and white McLaren Marlboro racing
car drawn by hand entirely in red ink above a season's long Top-3 Podium's box
for my keeping track of the season's outcome.
Not to mention I'd have to wait a further two
years before the Formula 1 Circus returned to Americre' to witness 'em live in
person for the very first time ever in The Valley of The Sun, nee Phoenix,
Arizona, where they raced three times between 1989-91.
As the season's title fight, like most of the
late 1980's centered around whom I took to calling "The four Horsemen,"
aka Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet, for which I've
had the privilege of seeing All four in action in Arizona, of all places...
TEAMS
AGS, Arrows, Benetton, Brabham, Coloni, Ferrari, Larrousse, Ligier,
Lotus, March, McLaren, Minardi, Osella, Tyrrell, Williams and Zakspeed.
DRIVERS
(Per the Adelaide
Season Finale)
(McLaren) #1) Alain Prost, 2. Stefan Johansson,; (Tyrrell) 3. Jonathan Palmer, 4. Philippe Streiff,; (Williams) 5. Riccardo Patrese*, 6. Nelson Piquet,; (Brabham) 7. R-Stefano Modena, 8. Andrea De Cesaris,; (Zakspeed) 9. Martin Brundle, 10. Christian Danner,; (Lotus) 11.
R- Satoru Nakajima, 12. Ayrton Senna; (AGS) 14. Roberto
Moreno; (March) 16. Ivan Capelli; (Arrows) 17. Derrick Warwick, 18. Eddie Cheever; (Benetton) 19. Teo Fabi, 20. Thierry Boutsen; (Osella) 21. Alex Caffi;
(Minardi) 23. R-Adrian Campos, 24. Alessandro Nannini;
(Ligier) 25. Rene Arnoux, 26. Piercarlo Ghinzani; (Ferrari) 27. Michele Alboreto, 28.
Gerhard Berger; (Larrousse) 29. R-Yannick Dalmas, 30.
Philippe Alliot.
NOTES
Williams "Red" No. 5 Nigel Mansell
injured his back in a Heavy Crash at Suzuka, and sat out the season finale,
replaced by Team Willy's 1988 signing Riccardo Patrese. While Stefano Modena
replaced Patrese at Brabham, making his series debut.
The season was Dominated by Team Willy's Goodyear
shod Williams FW11B Twin-turbocharged Honda V-6's, with Bloody Nige' *Mansell)
winning six times vs. Piquet's three W's, albeit Piquet scored seven runner-up
finishes en route to the Championship Crown. With the team easily taking the
vaunted Constructors title.
Mansell and Piquet had a most acrimonious
season's fight for supremacy at Team Willy', with the Brazilian Winning the
War, but losing the battle and ultimately slinking off to Lotus, with his No. 1
plate - As a poor substitute for Ayrton Senna, who'd vaulted to McLaren for
'88.
At this point of my F1 Baptism, I was a total
Alain Prost, nee "the Professor" Fan, with the Frenchman being my
favourite driver. Hence naturally, I was disappointed by Nelson Piquet, who
I've never been a fan of winning his third and final Formula 1 World Championship
that year.
Although I realize
now, I had overinflated expectations, since it's a rare occasion for a Driver
to score three successive Formula 1 titles in-a-row. Only being accomplished by
Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton in the last 31 years...
As I'd firmly take to disliking whom I
vehemently called ARROGANT', whose now known by many today as Saint Ayrton. As
Senna and Prost's intra-rival Scrums are legendous', whilst Piquet quietly
faded into the F1 landscape, albeit with a shock victory for Benetton when Yuhs
guessed it. His former Arch Nemesis Mansell hit the "Kill Switch"
when celebrating his apparent triumph at Bloody Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Il
Notre Dam during the final lap of the '91 Canadian Grand Prix!
Alas, is Formula 1 better off today? Uhm, Me
Thinks not really, as there's far fewer Formula 1 Teams, who were All truly
Bonafied Constructors. Not to mention the healthy number of Drivers contesting
each race.
While the Sport's new owners Liberty Media
have done very little, if anything to impress. For which thou Across thee
Puddle Hacks' wryly noted a year ago, that the Honeymoon's Over!
Whilst lastly,
Liberty's done little, if anything, to move the needle Stateside! And Dare I
Say it? Thar' Bastardized TV Coverage AIN'T gonna do anything to move the Needle...
