BBC Classic F1 races are back! [UK only]

[christophulus]

The BBC are running their brilliant classic F1 races again this year. There's a choice of season openers this time round, rather than five years of tedious Bahrain GPs...

1978 Argentina
1982 South Africa
1984 Brazil
1990 Phoenix, US
2009 Australia

You can vote on this website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2010/03/pick_your_classic_grand_prix_r.html), and the chosen race's highlights will be hosted on the BBC F1 site next week.

[DazzlaF1]

Sweet

I'd go for Phoenix 1990 just to see that classic Senna/Alesi duel.

South Africa 1982.

The single greatest come-back drive ever.

It's only because its Prost that it isn't trumpeted from the roof tops.

If Senna had ever managed anything half as good, we'd have never heard the end of it.

[Sonic]

Sweet

I'd go for Phoenix 1990 just to see that classic Senna/Alesi duel.

Ditto. One of the first races I watched and I was hooked. Shame Jean never lived up to that early promise :(

[UltimateDanGTR]

excellent. the beeb are gearing up for season two, and they are gonna be great like last year!

[BDunnell]

It's only because its Prost that it isn't trumpeted from the roof tops.

If Senna had ever managed anything half as good, we'd have never heard the end of it.

I quite agree. The same can be said of John Watson's two brilliant 'back-to-front' drives, which only aficionados seem to recall. Still, some drivers just get forgotten, very unfairly.

Back on topic, it is good to see the BBC making use of its archive F1 material. There is a lot out there and it deserves to be seen.

[V12]

South Africa 1982.

The single greatest come-back drive ever.

It's only because its Prost that it isn't trumpeted from the roof tops.

If Senna had ever managed anything half as good, we'd have never heard the end of it.

Agreed,

http://www.forix.com/gp.php?l=0&r=19820001&c=7 (subscribers only, I think)

That chart certainly makes some impressive viewing. Admittedly he was helped by Arnoux having a shocker in the second half of the race, but making up what looks like a whole lap on a teammate in less than half the race, without the aid of safety cars or any of that rubbish we get nowadays. Would his car have been damaged by the puncture too, with the cars still having ground effects at this point...

Anyone know off the top of their heads how much time Fangio had to make up at the Nurburgring?

[DazzlaF1]

Anyone know off the top of their heads how much time Fangio had to make up at the Nurburgring?

I think it was over 45 seconds (just going off what Murray Walker said on his Top 10 show years ago)

[DazzlaF1]

Ditto. One of the first races I watched and I was hooked. Shame Jean never lived up to that early promise :(

Same here, that battle for me was one of my earliest memories of watching F1 as a kid seeing Alesi, the plucky youngster in an underpowered car against the might of McLaren and the great Ayrton Senna.

A true David v Goliath battle on the track if ever there was one and is the stuff of legend

[Mark]

Sweet

I'd go for Phoenix 1990 just to see that classic Senna/Alesi duel.

Me too. I've played Phoenix on 'Grand Prix' on the PC, but never actually seen it!

[52Paddy]

Phoenix 1990 was epic. But I haven't seen the other races (bar Bahrain 09) so I'd plump for SA 1982.

[V12]

You know I'd be almost tempted to plump for Argentina '78 since it's the only one I've never seen footage of (either live or on a season review).

[Sonic]

Well just watched the classic races and it sure has got my blood pumping again. Can't wait to add a new "Classic" to the history books this weekend - one our kids will be posting on forums about in 20 years time.

[slorydn1]

The BBC are running their brilliant classic F1 races again this year. There's a choice of season openers this time round, rather than five years of tedious Bahrain GPs...

1978 Argentina
1982 South Africa
1984 Brazil
1990 Phoenix, US
2009 Australia

You can vote on this website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2010/03/pick_your_classic_grand_prix_r.html), and the chosen race's highlights will be hosted on the BBC F1 site next week.

MAN, I wish we could see this in the States :(

[ArrowsFA1]

I see ESPN Classic (http://www.espnclassic.com/home) are running the "F1 Retro" series again. 1978 tonight.

[wedge]

South Africa 1982.

The single greatest come-back drive ever.

It's only because its Prost that it isn't trumpeted from the roof tops.

If Senna had ever managed anything half as good, we'd have never heard the end of it.

The director/editing was terrible. Missed out most of Prost's drive.

1989 Mexican GP is dramatically over rated. Mansell makes up for a cock up with a stunning overtake and Prost came from nowhere to win. But then if it wasn't for Mansell I probably wouldn't have fallen in love with F1.

[philipbain]

The director/editing was terrible. Missed out most of Prost's drive.

F1's TV coverage has come a long long way since 1982, it is quite possible that the domestic broadcaster who covered the race (FOM TV producing the coverage for all the races is a much more recent innovation) didnt pick up most of Prost's epic comeback, only switching to him as he made it up into the points. The BBC "Grand Prix" show highlights were edited from the coverage transmitted live, so in the circumstances I suspect they showed all of Prost's comeback drive that they were supplied with, which is not a lot!

For the record the reason why the 1990 USGP at Pheonix was actually interesting was a legacy of the fact that the Pirelli tyres actually worked on that circuit and freakily for Arizona it actually rained on the Saturday, meaning that the times set for the grid came from the Friday session. This meant that the only Goodyear runner at the sharp end of the grid was McLaren who in 1990 were racing a B spec version of thier dominant '89 chassis so had a proven car they knew thier way around, the other cars at the sharp end were a random bunch of Pirelli runners, including Tyrell, Minardi and Scuderia Italia (Dallara). Then in the race the Pirelli tyres hung on very well and as Alesi was running a lighter V8 Tyrell he could scamper away at the start.

[52Paddy]

Also, Phoenix 1990 is worth watching to see Alesi get overtaken by Senna and re-pass within a few corners. Pity he never lived up to that early promise.

[Mark]

Just watching the South African GP. It's notable back then just how far forward in the car the drivers seem to be sitting. It's all rear engine and very little front nose. Modern F1 cars the driver seems to sit in the middle of the overall length.

[wedge]

Just watching the South African GP. It's notable back then just how far forward in the car the drivers seem to be sitting. It's all rear engine and very little front nose. Modern F1 cars the driver seems to sit in the middle of the overall length.

Modern safety cell. Drivers used to suffer crippling injuries when they sat farther forward from broken front suspension piercing their legs. Johnny Herbert being the best example.