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Posted on Wednesday, 24 March 2010 |
 Once upon a time there was a courageous racing driver. He was the fastest man on four wheels and was revered by the whole world. He wore a collared shirt but kept his arms bare despite the chance of burning himself on exposed exhaust pipes or getting thrown from his high sided, devilishly quick racing car. A leather cap protected his head and driving goggles shielded his eyes from the constant spray of his competitors oil.
He was serious, brutish, silent and confident. He didn't talk much unless it was about mechanical musings of his favourite steed. He smoked, drank the night before a race and was nicknamed 'The Butcher'. He was the fastest man on four wheels and he let everybody else talk about it.
Well, it could be true. Racing drivers of yester-year were a much more macho bunch. Death was no doubt a more serious prospect, the cars were ridiculously dangerous with not a thought given to safety. The chances of losing a couple of drivers to death each year was a certainty not a probability.
Living with that kind of risk had to breed a different type of driver with an entirely different mind set than the drivers of today. Driving a fast racing car back in those days was, simply, a different job.
Take two F1 racing drivers today. Both World Champions, both handsome, both driving for one of the worlds top Formula One teams. Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton have gathered for a pre race interview. Both of them are groomed, fit, sleek and ready for the 2010 Formula One season.
They are new team mates, it could be the greatest rivalry in the making since Senna and Prost sat next to each other in their McLaren MP4/5 Formula One cars. These are two of the most competitive men in modern Formula one and they are sitting side by side ready to talk.
Will it be like a pre boxing rumble with each eye-balling the other trying to score verbal points, will they be sullen with each other, cagey on details, unwilling to show their hand to the other? Barely able to tolerate the company of the other as we witnessed with Senna and Prost? Or conceal the irritation as we saw with Schumacher and Hill?
"Aren't women's handbags expensive", opens Jenson.
"I saw one for twenty eight grand!" exclaims Lewis.
Hardly the opening gambit one would expect from two would be 2010 world champions. The fashion theme continues as the boys discuss fashion errors, which includes a Top Gun leather jacket and shades, (no Jenson), and favourite items of clothing, a white T-shirt, ('E' for effort Lewis).
There is even mention of Jenson feeling broody and looking forward to having children himself. It is difficult to picture Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost sitting amiably together chatting about who is the most stylish but then again neither of them had to keep up with an International pop star or lingerie model girlfriend's or appeared much on red carpets.
It is the changing face of Formula One or is it that celebrity culture has finally pierced through the carbon fibre resolve of Formula One. The modern man; sensitive, moisturised, open to his feelings and chatting about them has arrived in Formula One. He's fast, sharply dressed, bedecked with a beautiful, independently wealthy and successful, thoroughly modern woman and, to cap it all, he knows the price of a good designer handbag.
It will be interesting to see how these thoroughly modern men will take it to the track in 2010. Will it be 'do or die' or will it be 'lets talk'? Either way this is a duel made in heaven; Both are world champions, both are young, both are handsome, both have famous beautiful girlfriends, (who do brighten up the pit garage a bit, you have to admit) and both of them live in glamourous Monaco.
Let's hope they don't get too in touch with their softer sides and will still fight it out on the track and that one of them claims the 2010 World Championship title.
Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were speaking to the Daily Mirror to launch their new clothing line for Marks and Spencers called Living the Dream. They will both be on home ground at the Monaco Grand Prix on the 16th May. Make sure you don't miss it. |
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