F1 AFTER SENNA - 1994 MONACO GRAND PRIX

In memory of Ayrton Senna at the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix 

1988 Monaco GP, the McLaren team and their turbo engines in peak form; Senna drove around the narrowed streets of Monte-Carlo as if it were a series of qualifying laps. Ayrton Senna in his legendary MP4/4 dominated the Monaco GP weekend right from the time he stepped on to the track. At one point in the race, he had a lead in excess of fifty seconds. That's right, he had lead close to a minute over his teammate Alain Prost. There was no stopping him, until the time, owing to a lapse in concentration, Senna spun off the track, hit the barrier and his race was over with just over twelve laps remaining.

As Ron Dennis (team principal of McLaren-Honda at that time put it - "We were trying to slow him down, but when you back off in a racing car, you lose concentration; so there was just a lapse, nothing else. He was so angry – he didn’t come back to the pits, he walked away from the circuit and sat in his flat. He didn’t reappear until later that evening, and was massively angry with himself…"

After that incident, the next five races at Monaco saw all of it won by the legendary Brazilian.

THE MOURNING CONTINUES

If not for his 'fault' at the 1988 Monaco GP, he would have had seven wins in a row at the Principality, having won his first in 1987 while driving for Lotus-Honda. Two weeks before the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix, Senna as we all know died from a race casualty at the San Marino GP. This news came as a shock and many questions regarding the safety of the sport were raised. Life had to move on and to those involved with F1, each day stretched and was painful to see a star driver become a victim of the sport.

The very next race at Monaco, the post-Senna era had begun, whether people wanted to believe it or not. And the racing weekend, at Thursday's free-practice, ill-fate struck again. Karl Wendlinger, driving for Sauber crashed at the harbour after exiting the tunnel. The Sauber hit the barrier sideways with a lot of force and Wendlinger's head struck the barriers. It was a violent incident, he was taken to a hospital and was in a coma. His condition didn't improve for several weeks, and he didn't race for the rest of the year. Next year, Wendlinger was unable to regain his pre-accident form and never raced again in Formula One after the 1995 season.

THE KING OF MONACO...... IS NOT TO BE SEEN

One of Senna's six victories at the Monaco Grand Prix

The Formula One found itself in a strange, unparalleled situation. Since the 1982 San Marino GP, there was no World Champion present. The sport needed a new face to move on. FIA announced sweeping changes with regards to safety, which included the reduction of pit lane speed. It happened in 1960's when Jim Clark became one of the victims and many thought sport would cease to exist. There was an air of déjà-vu, the feelings were of the same when Senna became the Formula One's latest casualty. One person who had seen it all and was calling shots at that time and he still does - Bernie Ecclestone. "No one is bigger than the sport. We've all got to pick ourselves up and go on. The sport moves on and it must do so now." It all seemed logical, those words from Bernie - but if only humans were alienated from what we call 'emotions'. In spite of knowing what needs to be done, there are moments in life, unexpectedly things come to a standstill, where thoughts get blurred, life seems pointless and it makes us understand about existence and how it is not permanent.

At the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix, all knew life had to move on, but at what pace? and how?

NEW HOPE IN MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

No driver other than Prost or Senna had won this prestigious GP from 1983. Now, it was time for a change. Michael Schumacher, in his third full season took the first pole position of his career. Williams and Simtek, both teams started the race with just one driver. And Sauber, after Wendlinger's crash decided to withdraw from the race.

Overnight, Damon Hill was given the huge task of filling in Senna's boots for Williams-Renault. Not just Williams-Renault, the entire decision-makers in F1 had a huge task. The season, so far was dominated by Michael Schumacher and naturally, he was seen as the 'next' poster boy of Formula One.

But, was that tag, justified? At the start of the Monaco Grand Prix, he had raced only in 41 races, same number as Senna's wins in Formula One. Would he be able to make an impact, the way Senna did? There were more questions that were asked, though no one could give any satisfying answers.. However, for all these questions, one answer seemed logical... time! Like the age-old adage goes, 'Time heals everything'. With three wins from three races, Michael Schumacher was the clear favourite to start a new chapter at Monaco.

THE MARK OF RESPECT

First row empty start - 1994 Monaco Grand Prix

Michael Schumacher alongside Mika Hakkinen started from row two. The first row was left empty as a mark of respect for the departed drivers - Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger.

How do you remember 1994 Monaco GP? Will that be remembered as a race where Michael Schumacher secured his first pole position? Will that be recalled by many as first of five wins at Monaco for Schumacher? Will people remember this race where Schumacher achieved his first Grand Slam (pole position, fastest lap and leading every lap from start to finish)?

Though, I am a huge Schumacher fan, I would remember the 1994 Monaco GP as the first race after Senna. I have walked on the very streets where Senna went about his business at Monaco. I have stood for minutes starring at the first row - a place which Senna made his own. And it was a magnanimous gesture to leave that front row vacant, reminding the fans on track and to millions of viewers, what a void he had left!

The race in itself was a recovery from that huge hangover and whatever Schumacher and rest of the drivers did on track, didn't matter. Martin Brundle, the British racing driver and now a commentator never won a race. He was a teammate of Senna's while at McLaren. He finished second behind Schumacher in the race  - "This is a great day for me and I am so glad to achieve this for my loyal and patient fans. Today was one of the best days in my racing career. I made a perfect start and had a faultless race. It has been a very difficult time. When your five-year-old daughter asks you if it's true [Ayrton] Senna is dead it is difficult to reconcile things."

TWO DECADES LATER...........

The business of Formula One is such, there is no room for emotional decisions. The best way to recover from a sporting incident is to continue racing, ensuring one never repeats the same mistakes. The sport has become a lot safer and since Senna's demise, there has been no such casualties during the race. There have been accidents - but none claimed any lives. As Ecclestone pointed out, the sport has moved on, people have moved on and memories have faded. But when you are in Monaco and discuss Formula One, people who have been in the sport for a long time will always have a story or two about Senna and his heroics on those narrow streets.

Since that victory on May 15, 1994, Michael Schumacher went from strength to strength and stands tall at the top of Formula One with his achievements. However, he now finds himself in a state of transition, where each day, one cannot say what is going to happen. His family, his fans and a lot more people will move on..... but again at what pace? 

Gentlemen's Agreement or Team Orders - McLaren at the 1998 Australian Grand Prix

In sporting context, one of the exciting parts of any year is the first weekend leading up to the F1 race. Like every year in the recent past, Australia is the destination that gets to host the F1 circus led by Bernie Ecclestone. A lot of incidents have engulfed the initial race - though none would have the drama which the final races are usually associated with. However, the first race often indicates what to expect and how teams are placed with their competitiveness. More than anything none can beat the excitement of a season opener.  

The year 1998 was one such scenario. The team of Mika Hakkinen and the Scot David Coulthard recorded stunning lap times in the pre-season testing and the MP4/13 was tipped to be the 'best' car on circuit. This was McLaren's year on paper and the only way it was going to be achieved is when their drivers do not take out each other in the heat of the battle.

In view of this, David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen made a pre-race pact whereby "whichever of the two was ahead taking the turn to the first corner would be allowed to stay at number one for the rest of the Grand Prix unless there were to be any mishaps."

As predicted the two McLarens dominated the qualifying session with Mika Hakkinen taking the pole and his team mate coming in second. The fiercely fought rivals in the previous season Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve were in 3^rd and 4^th respectively. The silver-arrows duo were 0.7 seconds clear of the rest of the cars and certainly looked to be racing on another planet. Anything less than 1-2 to McLaren would have been a unhappy weekend. A first one-two pole for McLaren since Adelaide 1991 when Senna and Berger had put the two cars on the front row was anything but surprise.

The five red lights went off and race began - Mika Hakkinen ahead of Coulthard coming into turn one. Unless there were to be any incidents, the race was firmly decided in Mika's favour. With Coulthard not willing to try harder to make an attempt to pass Hakkinen, it was clear how the race would finish as per the pre-race pact. The only driver that could match Hakkinen's pace was his teammate while rest of the field were off the pace. Michael Schumacher unsuccessfully made attempts to overtake the Scotsman and eventually retired on lap six owing to engine trouble. It would have been an uphill task even if he were to be racing.

With none of the other drivers able to stay with the McLarens, it seemed like the Hakkinen and Coulthard would coast to victory without having to look at their rear-view mirrors. On lap 36 when Hakkinen was just  about to lap Eddie Irvine, he heard blurred messages on his radio. Mika chasing Eddie Irvine was close to the pit- lane entry and without thinking and confirming with the team he dashed into the pits (he was nearing his pit stop schedule). While rest of the field were going flat-out, the race leader cruising in pit lane speed limits found no mechanics in the garage and he simply drove straight on and rejoined rest of the cars. It was an misjudgement on the part of Mika.

This unplanned diversion cost Mika the lead and he was now behind his team mate by 13 seconds. On lap 41, this time Mika came in for his scheduled and final pit stop of the race. Mika known to be ice cool was anxious and in that nervous moment made an error. He dropped his clutch while one of his mechanics was working on his left rear wheel. It didn't cost much time. He came out and still was in second position - 41 seconds behind. That huge lead was short-lived as Coulthard dashed his way in for his final stop of the race. With fifteen laps to go, it was 1-2 McLaren and it was a mere formality for the rest of the race. Drivers barring McLaren duo were battling the race of attrition. By this time only nine cars out of twenty-two were on track and a lap down.

McLaren crew took some time, close to eight laps after that detour from Hakkinen to inform David Coulthard about Hakkinen losing his lead owing to a misunderstanding. 

Towards the fag end of the race, Hakkinen was racing a second quicker than Coulthard and on lap 53 he took 3 seconds out of Coulthard's lead - the next lap add another two seconds. With just three laps remaining Coulthard's car was within striking distance to Mika's. Next moment Mika takes the lead in a manner quite strange and unsatisfactory!

'It was a very difficult decision to take. But I was alone in front without any pressure, which allowed me to think about it calmly and to reach the decision that this was Mika's race by right.' This was the explanation given by Coulthard post-race when asked about this bizarre move. McLaren and David Coulthard were criticised and the matter went to World Motorsports Council. The verdict went this way - "Any future act prejudicial to the interests of the competition should be severely punished in accordance with the article 151c of the International Sporting Code."

In 2007 at the Monaco Grand Prix,  McLaren were criticised for ordering their cars not to race each other after the first round of pit stops, when it was clearly established McLaren duo of Alonso and Hamilton were much superior to the rest of the pack. To add to Hamilton's frustration, he was told not to race Alonso.

The above matter again raised the question of possible violation of article 151c. Ron Dennis defended the move by stating - "Team strategy is what you bring to bear to win a grand prix. Team orders are what you bring to bear to manipulate a grand prix. We do not and have not manipulated grands prix, unless there were some exceptional circumstances, which occurred in Australia (1998), when someone had tapped into our radio and instructed Mika Hakkinen to enter the pits." 

He went on to add - "He entered the pits and I reversed that, because that was unfair, that was an outside influence on the outcome of the race. That is one of the rare occasions that there's been a team order. I have a clear conscience, both on that particular race - and this race today."

The 1998 Australian GP was Mika Hakkinen's second victory and both times under controversial circumstances. Was it a team order or Coulthard's gentlemanly gesture? I would say it had good proportions of both. In the end, the result didn't matter - Hakkinen was much superior and went on to win his maiden World championship title.