End of the Road?

Last weekend, whilst wondering through the Goodwood Paddock, I stumbled upon what at first seemed to be Morris Minor. It was in fact a Holden engined Austin A30, in Blue and Yellow and bearing the image of a cartoon Kangaroo. The name on this unlikely looking racing machine was Peter Brock. The Aussie Maestro scored 102 wins in that car from 65 Meetings. As I pictured in my mind the sight of this car balanced on the edge of adhesion on the twists and turns of Mount Panorama, I thought ”Brockie, You sure had balls!”

Those thoughts came back to me this morning when JB told me the news of his death.

We all know and accept that Motor racing is a dangerous game, and thanks to the work of the unsung many we do now live in an age where fatalities are a rare thing at the top level. It is of course always the most shocking when accidents befall the very best.

I’m sure there will be many glasses raised to his memory in the Monza paddock this weekend as the Grand Prix season moves onto the home stretch.

One man who will certainly have a lot on his mind this weekend is another true Great of Motorsport – one M. Schumacher.

The big question on everybody’s lips this year has been will he go, or will he stay on?

Of course we only have to wait a few more hours to find out. If, as many believe, he announces that it is time to call it a day, it will be the end of Grand Prix racing’s most illustrious and controvertial career. Anybody who received a book of Motor Racing records prior to the 2000 season might as well tear it up, there is little left that Michael hasn’t stamped his name on in Style.

I freely admit that I have never been his most ardent supporter. We got off on the wrong foot in the early days due to his tendency keep bumping into Damon Hill. Over the years he his insatiable will to win has lead to many well publicized moments of madness which have been documented over and over at length elsewhere.

Yet I do feel proud that I was a witness to this man, to this chapter in Motor Racing history which will be talked about for as long as cars are raced. I was at Silverstone when he scored his 80^th Grand Prix victory, and if he can lead the field home tomorrow he will have reached 90. To put that into perspective, Jackie Stewart’s entire career lasted 99 Races!

I am still secretly hoping that just maybe he will stay on another year, give us all the battle with Raikonnen we’ve been dreaming about. Perhaps even a shock move to finish his career where he started, behind the wheel of a Mercedes!

That said it will come as no surprise to me to hear that he will instead choose to spend the 2007 season sitting in front of the telly in his slippers, smoking the odd cigar. Who knows, maybe one year he too will come to Goodwood, I’d love to see what he could do with Brockie’s Austin.