News in pre-Internet era

It's very simple today to follow news having Internet and "13 channels of **** on the TV to choose from". But what motor racing enthusiasts used for news before all that appeared?

I've got some copies of British communist newspaper Morning Star (what else could USSR let go through its borders?) from mid-eighties with some news and articles. As for news I'd rate them quite useful because there were messages on tests, team presentations and drivers' contracts. This kind of information is ofted needed in research.

In mid-nineties I used to record BBC World Service Sports Roundup programme and found it also very useful and fast. Once I was impressed when heard news about press-conference which took place some minutes ago in which Damon Hill made some announcement.

Did earlier newspapers publish short motor sport news? How can we get them now? What did you use for news in the past?

Autosport

BBC Teletext service.

A couple of hours after Ayrton's accident I'll never forget flicking on to Teletext to be confronted with the headline "Senna clinically dead".

25 years or so earlier it had been a neighbour popping his head over the garden fence who gave a very young but motor-sport-mad Moffat the news that Jimmy Clark had been killed.

Yep, Autosport and Motoring News were the only two real sources. General motoring mags like Autocar and Motor gradually cut back their coverage throught the 60s and 70s and those two filled the gap. The national press paid scant attention to motor sport - in the tabloids you'd get the first six places listed if you were lucky, while the mid- and up-market papers might give a brief report of a championship GP.

Having said that, both the Daily Mail (Race of Champions) and Daily Express (International Trophy) used to sponsor non-championship races and did provide more extensive coverage of those.

As to finding copies: the British Library at Colindale. Not a pleasant experience I understand .....

first Autosprint, italian motorsport weekly, starting with borrowed copies, when I was a very young kid (early '70s, I was born in 1960), the Autosport, from 1984 until 2003.

But I used to read pieces about motorsport on "Il Corriere della Sera" (Milan daily newspaper), "La Gazzetta dello Sport" (I remember reading a small piece about a Chevron winning a European Sport 2000 race, 1971...), and also "Corriere dello Sport" and "Stadio" (the best for non F.1 races), sometimes it was possible to read the entire qualifying classification of Targa Florio, with b/w pics of the car, or about Le Mans first hours of racing...and there were TV, Monza 1000 was usually broadcasted live, it was held on april 25 (national holiday, liberation from nazis and fascists), and radio (Targa Florio).....

sometimes I'm still surprised by the "internet era" progress, the ability to follow a race live, or to know the result of an obscure sportscars race held somewhere in the world, and now imagine the '60s-70s kind of racing followed via internet, satellite TV etc.....

Back in the late 70's when I first started following F1 and racing here in Canada, there were not alot of choices for news. Very few the races were on TV and the newspaper sports coverage was mainly into stick and ball sports or a little blurb on Giles Villeneuve and the Indy 500. In the small city I grew up in I did not see a Motor Sport or Autosport magazine or any British magazine until I started high school. I stopped at the new stand everyday on the way home from school to read up on the latest news. I only bought the real interesting issues. Road & Track magazine was readily available bought there was a 3-4 month time lag on news. There were no racing books or magazines in the public library.

Then I moved to a bigger city to attend college in 1985. Big change! The CBC showed the races. The newspaper and books stores carried alot more magazines, although still a month behind the UK and the public library had most car magazines archived! Now things have definitely changed. Every morning now before breakfast I get on line and check the latest news (TNF is first stop). TSN carries the ITV feed insted of Speed although Speed is available. Things have improved. If only back issues of our favorite magazines were available on CDROM or downloadable.......

Being a mad fan in the 1980s as a kid in the UK I kept up with news through the usual channels - basically what my Dad bought home - mostly Motoring News and Autosport when it wasn't such a bad publication! Also through Alan Henry writing in the Guardian.

Ceefax was another good source for news - I can recall a time when motorsport wasn't under page 360 but alas can't remember what it used to be! It was handy for following races when they weren't all carried live on TV - I used to drive my sister mad by watching ceefax for 2 hours to get lap by lap updates of the top 6 during a race - happy days!

Autoweek magazine since 1983 for print. Used to pick up On Track before it shut down as well.

Motorweek Illustrated with Dave Despain on TBS, just before pro wrestling on Saturdays

I started watching races regularly around 1980/81, coincident with the arrival of ESPN. Back then before they got into big league sports they had a lot of racing from F1 to USAC stocks, modifieds, and ASA. One TV race I especially remember was ASA at Milwaukee 1983, Alan Kulwicki winning in an unsponsored Firebird, fighting with a bunch of NASCAR guys including Darrell Waltrip. Talk about a sign of things to come.....

Originally posted by Vitesse2
As to finding copies: the British Library at Colindale. Not a pleasant experience I understand .....

What did you hear about Colindale, Vitesse? I've used them to read microfiches of newspapers for pre-war Brooklands results (another largely untapped source I suspect) and have had courteous treatment from staff members who perhaps aren't totally au fait with what I'm after.

It is a bit of a strain on the eyes after a day of scrolling through fiches though, so I tend to find I enjoy the day best if I leaven it with a potter round the Hendon RAF museum afterwards!

Originally posted by mikedeering
Ceefax was another good source for news - I can recall a time when motorsport wasn't under page 360 but alas can't remember what it used to be! It was handy for following races when they weren't all carried live on TV - I used to drive my sister mad by watching ceefax for 2 hours to get lap by lap updates of the top 6 during a race - happy days!

I reckon it was page 340 before cricket took the slot over. I must get out more...

In the seventies, I can remember tuning into Sport on Sunday on a Sunday evening on BBC Radio 2. Some Grands Prix did not even get a mention. Other reports consisted of one-liners stating who won and that was about it!

One abiding memory is of the BBC radio coverage early on a Sunday morning of the 1976 Japanese GP, when James won his crown. Of course, there was no question of live TV coverage at that time.

Even the broadcasts of the British GP were interrupted by horse races!

Edward

Originally posted by Criceto

What did you hear about Colindale, Vitesse? I've used them to read microfiches of newspapers for pre-war Brooklands results (another largely untapped source I suspect) and have had courteous treatment from staff members who perhaps aren't totally au fait with what I'm after.

It is a bit of a strain on the eyes after a day of scrolling through fiches though, so I tend to find I enjoy the day best if I leaven it with a potter round the Hendon RAF museum afterwards!

OK, I'm note Vitesse, but my own exeprience of Colindale - admittedly some years ago now - was that you'd request three bound volumes of a particular publication, twiddle your thumbs for an hour or so while they found them and brught them to the reading-room, then find the volumes didn't have as much information as you wanted. So, request three more, wait an hour - and so on. The publications I was seeking weren't available on microfiche...
On the other hand, there are some real gems there if you have the patience, as there are in the British Library proper

for most people outside europe the european motorsport magazine (and annuals)were the only source, french british and italian magazines mostly. like VWV already mention in the 70s in canada the motorsport was practically absent from the media there were not even giving the result of GP in the papers or tv and we already had a canadian gp then ,go wonder. but in montreal we were "lucky" some store were carrying the most important french and british mags . like sport-auto and motorsport

When I was at school, between 1959 and 1966 my only chance to find out practice times was from a friend who, from a very early age, took The Times every day.

Back when practice took place on Thursday as well as Friday I would always grab his paper first thing Friday morning to see what was what.

Some years later I was very amused to see a misprint in that same paper which had the famous lady tennis player C. Evert quite well up a grid in her Tyrrell.

When I was at school, between 1959 and 1966 my only chance to find out practice times was from a friend who, from a very early age, took The Times every day.

Back when practice took place on Thursday as well as Friday I would always grab his paper first thing Friday morning to see what was what.

Some years later I was very amused to see a misprint in that same paper which had the famous lady tennis player C. Evert quite well up a grid in her Tyrrell.

This was about the time that i would spend a couple of hours of a Sunday afternoon with my ear glued to a small transistor radio trying to hear a French broadcast of some European Grand Prix or other.

Originally posted by SEdward
One abiding memory is of the BBC radio coverage early on a Sunday morning of the 1976 Japanese GP, when James won his crown. Of course, there was no question of live TV coverage at that time.

Are you certain it wasn't live on TV? I'm sure I can remember watching it as it happened.

My mind may be playing tricks though!

John

Originally posted by David McKinney


OK, I'm note Vitesse, but my own exeprience of Colindale - admittedly some years ago now - was that you'd request three bound volumes of a particular publication, twiddle your thumbs for an hour or so while they found them and brught them to the reading-room, then find the volumes didn't have as much information as you wanted. So, request three more, wait an hour - and so on. The publications I was seeking weren't available on microfiche...
On the other hand, there are some real gems there if you have the patience, as there are in the British Library proper

I've heard very similar reports of the place, which is what I was alluding to. As with all British Library operations, it seems to be designed more to keep the information from you than to provide it.

Of course, when you request microfiches or microfilms, they can and probably will be able to provide you with more material in one go. I've used Times microfilms in Torquay and they were all available for immediate use in their Local Studies Library.

Incidentally, and a bit off-topic, those in the West of England may be interested to know that the Bristol Central Library has a run of The Motor which stretches from February 1902 to mid-1916. They then have a gap until 1960, but it's complete since then, switching to Autocar when they were merged.

Originally posted by SEdward
In the seventies, I can remember tuning into Sport on Sunday on a Sunday evening on BBC Radio 2. Some Grands Prix did not even get a mention. Other reports consisted of one-liners stating who won and that was about it!

I remember doing the same, sitting muttering c'mon Ronnie as they ploughed through minor county cricket scores eventually giving a brief mention to the days GP at the end.

In the accent of one of Monty Python's 'Four Yorkshiremen'



Luxary



NZ may as well have been Mars until 1990 when Sky (cable TV) arrived.

Ok eventually I could afford to get Motoring News and then Autosport air mailed but prior to that it was a 3 week wait.

David and Milan can go back a few more years than me but you'd have thought that with the Bruce and Denny show and Chris doing well etc we'd have been awash with news of local lads doin' good on the world stage.

Yeah right.

David/Milan: is my memory corrent that news of Denny Hulme's world championship didn't even make it to the sports pages in the NZ Herald?

I can remember getting an update from Le Mans every 4 hours on the BBC World Service. I also vaguely getting GP results as well in the Sunday sports round-up Dad got the daily telegraph by air mail about three days late and there was usually a short report as well as the results. Sometimes the nairobi papers, East African Standard or the Nation might have a report pulled off the wire services but not always. So it was a case of wait a month for Jenks's report in Motor Sport.

As for Fuji 1976: this was certainly on British TV. I don't know whether it was on live but they certainly played a recording later in the day as I remember leaving the room at every news broadcast and making sure nobody told me the result.

Sounds like aficionados in The Motherland had better coverage available than we did in The Colonies.

In the decade following the war, our local newspaper would give some agate-type results from our nearby 1/4-mile oval racetrack, with correspondingly greater coverage if someone were hurt or worse.

But the bigger picture was much harder to come by: in those days Road & Track magazine was one of my earliest print sources, along with Speed Age, Hot Rod and of course National Speed Sport News, the latter purchased sporadically at the track. Sports Illustrated would occasionally give some coverage after it began ('53?)

The only live coverage then was of course Indy on the radio every Memorial Day. I was about 14, around '52, when I started listening regularly.

I hitch-hiked a lot during college ('55-'59) and remember being given an unforgettable eyewitness account of Fangio's '57 Ring victory by a guy who gave me a ride a year or so later.

ISTR seeing a quick glimpse of Monaco on French b&w TV around '63. And by the mid-60s, I can recall listening to NASCAR radio broadcasts of their major events.

If someone had told me then of the comprehensive coverage available 40 years later, I'd have labeled him daft!

When I was a lad and used to go to pictures...there would often be Newsreels (like) of Brabham doing this or Moss doing that....very entertaining and exciting as they were often well made short filums.

Magazines like Racing Car News in Australia did a top job of keeping fans informed...take a bow Barry, Ray etc etc

New Zealand newspapers, especially the Auckland ones, gave phenomenal coverage of major local motor races - preview stories placed prominently in the weeks before, and often several pages of coverage of the racing itself.
But coverage of foreign events, even world championship Grands Prix, was not nearly as good, or as consistent.
I first tried keeping up with play in 1959, and by 1961 the procedure went like this:
BBC World Service Monday mornings (Sunday evening GMT) - usually the first three
Monday evening and Tuesday morning daily newspapers - often nothing, rarely more than the first three. Unless of course there was a fatality
Thursday - down to the public library for The Times airmail edition - small report, but often the first six placings.
One month after the event (or two) - a better report in Australian magazines, especially Modern Motor and Sportscar World
Three months after the event, final access to comprehensive reports in the English magazines - Autosport, MotorSport - even Motor and Autocar
By 1963 I had discovered Motoring News which an airmail subscriptionwould deliver on the Monday or Tuesday 10 days after the race
And yes, sometimes you'd get something on a newsreel in the cinema, but never anything on TV until many years later

I distinctly remember listening to the 1976 Japanese GP live on the radio in the wee hours. I think that Simon Taylor was commentating and by the end of the race he didn't have a clue what was going on and where James had finished.

I think the race was shown on TV later in the day.

Edward

I think we seem to agree that coverage was distinctly patchy, but there were some gems.

I have an old copy of the Radio Times from June 1967, and the schedules for the BBC Home Service (written with an Alvar Liddell accent) showed that there would be regular updates on the progress of the Le Mans race during the weekend. It seems a bit odd (but pleasing) that they should have gone out of their way to do such a thing.

In slightly later years, early 70s I think, there used to be a radio programme called "Sunday Sport", broadcast by the BBC at 7 PM. Along with all the usual cricket/ nag racing stuff, you'd get cursory details of whatever Grand Prix had taken place on that day.

And of course there was the children's programme "Tom Tom", with its slot car recreations of F1 races, which I think we have covered before on here.

I've posted this before, but never mind, a list of race meetings covered live by British TV in 1962:

April 7, Oulton Park (BBC)
April 14, Silverstone (ITV)
April 23, Goodwood (ITV)
April 28, Aintree (BBC)
May 12, Silverstone (ITV)
May 26, Goodwood (ITV)
June 3, Monaco GP (BBC)
June 11, Mallory Park (BBC)
June 11, Goodwood (ITV)
June 23/24, Le Mans (BBC)
June 23, Goodwood (ITV)
June 30, Scotland? (BBC)
July 7, French GP (BBC)
July 21, British GP (BBC)
August 4, Silverstone (ITV)
August 6, Brands Hatch (BBC)
August 11, Silverstone (ITV)
August 18, Goodwood (ITV)
September 16, Italian GP (BBC)
September 22, Goodwood (ITV)
October 6, Silverstone (ITV)
December 26, Brands Hatch (BBC)

Hardly patchy coverage, although I do remember they kept cutting to the bloody horse racing at the crucial moments.

I've also admitted to being addicted to the Times Digital Index and the coverage there, especially of pre-war British racing, is pretty good.

Originally posted by Mac Lark
...eventually I could afford to get Motoring News and then Autosport air mailed but prior to that it was a 3 week wait.

3 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????????

Surely you meant 3 months.

Originally posted by KJJ
I've posted this before, but never mind, a list of race meetings covered live by British TV in 1962:

April 7, Oulton Park (BBC)
April 14, Silverstone (ITV)
April 23, Goodwood (ITV)
April 28, Aintree (BBC)
May 12, Silverstone (ITV)
May 26, Goodwood (ITV)
June 3, Monaco GP (BBC)
June 11, Mallory Park (BBC)
June 11, Goodwood (ITV)
June 23/24, Le Mans (BBC)
June 23, Goodwood (ITV)
June 30, Scotland? (BBC)
July 7, French GP (BBC)
July 21, British GP (BBC)
August 4, Silverstone (ITV)
August 6, Brands Hatch (BBC)
August 11, Silverstone (ITV)
August 18, Goodwood (ITV)
September 16, Italian GP (BBC)
September 22, Goodwood (ITV)
October 6, Silverstone (ITV)
December 26, Brands Hatch (BBC)

Wow! I had no ideas Grand Prix (other than the British) were live on UK TV as early as that. I thought live coverage started in '78.

What happened in "Scotland?" on June 30th, by the way?

John

Originally posted by JohnS


Wow! I had no ideas Grand Prix (other than the British) were live on UK TV as early as that. I thought live coverage started in '78.

What happened in "Scotland?" on June 30th, by the way?

John

Doune or Fintray hillclimb ?

(Probably not!) But great question though...

Just read Graham Gauld's post in the The worst commentators thread, as follows;

In the 1960's and '70's I was motoring "man" for Scottish Television - Murray Walker and I did the first live outside broadcast of motor racing in Scotland back around 1962 at Charterhall - and some time later they decided to do three live OB's from Ingliston. On each occasion I was commentator and they drafted in various out of work Scottish actors to do the interview bits between the ads and the races. I well remember one of them and for the life of me forget his name. As a race finished he would rush up to the winner and engage him in gripping conversation. Bill Stein had won a race with the Ecurie Ecosse single seater, the Ecosse-Climax. Bill took off his helmet and this "Actor" hit him with his first penetrating question. " That was a great win, Bill, tell me what was your fuel consumption ?" The look on Bill's face was priceless and as the cameras rolled you could hear Bill muttering "...lets see ten laps with a lap length of 1.06 miles..........." After a long silence Bill said " I haven't the faintest idea". The director screamed down the earphones " cut to ads!" and we never heard of the actor again.

Maybe? Maybe not??

Originally posted by JohnS


Wow! I had no ideas Grand Prix (other than the British) were live on UK TV as early as that. I thought live coverage started in '78.



John

First Live coverage was Monaco 1959,followed by Monza.Reims scheduled but cancelled due to a french strike.By 1966 all european rounds were covered.Decline followed arrival of advertising on cars in 1968.

Originally posted by Lotus23
If someone had told me then of the comprehensive coverage available 40 years later, I'd have labeled him daft!

Agreed! I was just marvelling earlier at how incredible it is that I was able to watch a streaming live video feed on the internet of part of the A1GP race from Brands Hatch earlier from my home halfway around the world. I missed it but apparently it continued into live coverage of part of the subsequent TGP race before the feed from the A1GP site was shut down.

And then the Brands Hatch site had a live timing feed of each of its races today (although I am not aware if this is a regular occurrence). This included races such as the humble Caterhams, with positions and lap times for each and every car competing, and this data available to the whole wide world for free.

And to think I used to listen to the PA trackside at Brands years back just trying, often unsuccessfully, to catch the driver changes and late additions for each race -- and then often missing them and scanning the next issue of Motoring News to see if it provided any better info.

As a youngster I recall that I first got hooked watching the live coverage of the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix. With my part time job at a newsagent I got occasional remaindered motoring mags like Road & Track and soon progressed to regular purchases of Motor Sport, later supplemented by MN and then Autosport, as improving finances allowed.

But live streaming video and then both watching and recording each GP live directly on to my very own personal computer ...... who (except of course Dan Dare) would have thunk it?

In France we are fortunate to have a DAILY newspaper dedicated to sports...it's called "L'Equipe" ( the team ) and from the very early times of my interest in motor racing I was able to find the results I wanted in the Monday morning issue....although at a very high cost for my teenage pocket money.....

Otherwise, the national radio ( France Inter ) normally mentioned the Grand Prix results.....I still remember the morning I turned my little transistor radio on upon waking up for school at 6.00 am and heard that François Cevert had won the US Grand Prix !

The national TV sometimes broadcasted Grand Prix : Italy 1970 is my first memory of watching a race on TV...

And of course we had the monthlys : "L'Automobile" had a comprehensive "Sport Mécanique" section then , plus of course Crombac's "Sport-Auto", and a few others that they absorbed as years went by : "Virages", "Champion"....

And then in '72 I moved to the UK and discovered the marvels of the weekly Motoring News....

During the sixties, here in Australia we would usually get one or two paragraphs in the Daily Telegraph on a Monday morning... usually...

Were David McKay to cover a local race meeting, there'd be something in the Sunday Telegraph about practice, and from 1965 there was [i]The Australian to be counted on for reports on Monday.

But all of it was a bit inconsistent. Max Stahl used to have a radio session about 10am Saturdays, that was informative, but the most important link was David McKay's Wednesday column in the [i]Telegraph.

Originally posted by Kvadrat
It's very simple today to follow news having Internet and "13 channels of **** on the TV to choose from". But what motor racing enthusiasts used for news before all that appeared?

I've got some copies of British communist newspaper Morning Star (what else could USSR let go through its borders?) from mid-eighties with some news and articles. As for news I'd rate them quite useful because there were messages on tests, team presentations and drivers' contracts. This kind of information is ofted needed in research.

In mid-nineties I used to record BBC World Service Sports Roundup programme and found it also very useful and fast. Once I was impressed when heard news about press-conference which took place some minutes ago in which Damon Hill made some announcement.

Did earlier newspapers publish short motor sport news? How can we get them now? What did you use for news in the past?

In the US, depending on area, non-print coverage was scarse at best.
ABC Wide World of Sports is the network that started the Motorsports coverage ball rolling.

On the radio, if one was in a area in which oval track racing was very popular, often times there would be radio show dedicated to racing news; CBS radio had a national motorsports program every Sunday covering major races.
Pre-Speedweek, there were a fair number of local racing shows on weekends in parts of the country, especially during the seventies.

In print there was Competition Press & Autoweek(to call the current Autoweek pathetic compared to what it once was, would be a gross understatement) and National Speed Sport News for weekly coverage; again with regional weekly-bi-weekly, papers in heavy motorsport areas.

The major magazines, Sportscar Illustrated (Car and Driver), Sports Car Graphic (which even covered major amateur events) were a good way to get, late, but thourough coverage of racing if one did not get the weeklies.

It is a good thing the internet and cable came about because during the seventies and eighties, manyof the old standards dropped entirely, or reduce racing coverage until it was not more than a afterthought in print.

This is a partial abstract and I am sure I have missed much I am not even aware of.
Bob

As several have mentioned, being a race fan in the general sense, that is beyond the local area, in America prior to the advent of the internet age required dedication and True Grit. You have to use considerable resources in terms of both time and money to obtain information. The local newspapers might cover the local races (even if not well, but at least some level of coverage) but ignore the national or international news & results except on an occasional basis or simply ignore motor racing except for the "bad" stuff, of course.

One soon learned which magazines might have something in them, such as Sports Illustrated which usually ran a few lines in it For the Record page and which newspapers as well, generally the NY Times in the East and the LA Times in the west. Comp Press and MotoRacing for "sports cars" along with NSSN for about everything else, were among the few weeklies/biweeklies available "nationally." Coupled with the various regional weeklies/bi-weeklies and the domestic monthlies such as SCI (later C/D), R&T, SCG, and a number others such as Hot Hod and Popular Hot Rodding which were more useful than one might imagine, along various other magazines which appeared and disappered with mind-spinning rapidity and which provided good reason to haunt newsstands on a regular and routine basis, all this gave you some idea of what was happening on a certain level.

Then, there were those who managed to get issues of Motor Sport, Autosport, Autocar, Motor, Auto Motor und Sport, and whatever else one can imagine, on a routine basis and while invariably weeks (often more than a few) behind, was still a source of information which relatively few had access to here in the States. I was generally loathed since I got Autosport and Motor Racing by subscription, even though those doing the loathing generally did not fathom the problems you had to deal with when trying to deal with the various subscription departments. In those days, snail mail and international postal money orders coupled with no end of opportunities to have items lost or for things to be misunderstood could build Character.

The radio was another source, but spotty as has been mentioned. Even in the Southeast it was a challenge at times to hear the Grand National events since only the big ones were broadcast prior to the introduction of the Winston Cup and even then they might be carried on different stations.

In many ways, I miss the quality of magazine reporting which existed then, some of which still lives on thankfully in a few magazines. About the ONLY advanatges I have seen since the advent of the internet have been in the ability to form a community such as this one and the better availabilty of resource material for research purposes. Otherwise, the internet lives up to its deserved reputation as being a spawn of the devil.

However, despite it all, we somehow managed. Folks tend to take a great deal for granted these days. Keep in mind that once upon a time even something as basic as the finishing positions and grids for contemporary races were a challenge to find, much less information from decades prior. Today you can become quite conversant and achieve a serious level of expertise without ever having to do much more than click the keys on your keyboard rather than slowly hunt down this or that book or magazine or await an answer to a letter which may or may not be replied to.

Here are some 1987 news and reports from Morning Star.

Lauda on tour

AUSTRIA'S Niki Lauda, three times Formula One world champion, is considering a racing comeback with BMW in the world touring car championships.

The West German car company announced yesterday that Lauda, who has acted as an adviser to the BMW racing team since retiring from Formula One cimipctitimi in 1985, would test their M3 model in Monza on Thursday and if happy, race the car in the Italian city this weekend.

Ferrari unveil new F1 hopeful

FERRARI yesterday unveiled their new Formula One car, the Fl-87, with increased horsepower, remodelled suspension and a lower body than its predecessors.

The decision of the car launched at the Imola track which hosts the San Marino Grand Prix in May, was overseen by John Barnard who joined Ferrari as technical director from McLaren last November.

The car, the 29th racing Ferrari produced since the company went into Formula One in 1950, has a lower chassis and a more streamlined front than the Fl-86 version. It also has 880 hp against 850 on the previous model, and six gears instead of five.

"Morning Star", 17.03.87

Crunch time in Hungary

REIGNING world champion Alain Prost of France and Brazilian ace Ayrton Senna will be making determined bids to break the growing Williams stranglehold on the world Formula One championship in the second Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest on Sunday.

After five Grands Prix without a win, Prost is desperate to triumph not only to maintain his challenge for the drivers' championship, but also to record a 28th career victory.

He has not won see equalling Jackie Stewart's record of 27 wins at the Belgian Grand Prix in May and, after modifications to his McLaren's Porsche engine, remains optimistic despitee being forced to retire at the West German race

The Frenchman was also forced to retire during last year's first Hungarian race, run on the slow, twisting Hungaroring circuit near Budapest where Williams' Brazilian Nelson Piquet, the current championship leader, won an exciting victory.

Piquet, whose duel with teammate and rival Nigel Mansell has threatened to dominate the season, is likely to be among the leading contenders again, but may be seriously challenged by his compatriot Senna.

Senna led the title race after the two street circuit Grands Prix at Monaco and Detroit and Lotus have modified the chassis of his car, equipped with computer-controlled suspension, in a bid to improve its competitiveness.

"I like the track," commented Senna. "It's a hard driving circuit with lots of challenges and plenty of twists and turns. It should be a good circuit for our car."

Senna finished second to Piquet last year and will be determined to stop his compatriot following his West German win with a repeat of his 1986 triumph to consolidate his grip on the championship race.

Piquet leads Senna by four points and Mansell by nine, but he knows both they and Prost will be a major threat with Mansell determined to mark his 33rd birthday on the eye of the race with his fourth win of the season.

"Morning Star", 07.08.87

Mansell out again

NIGEL MANSELL'S season of bad luck continued in Budapest yesterday after he started the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole position - his seventh such start of the year - led for much of the race, but again failed to finish.

That failure meant Brazilian team-mate Nelson Piquet extended his lead in the championship race with his second successive win.

Piquet's win lifted him seven points clear of fellow-Brazilian Ayrton Senna - the man he will replace when he leaves Williams for Lotus next season - in the title race.

But again, as in the West German Grand Prix two weeks ago, Piquet owed his victory to the misfortunes of his rivals, in particular Mansell, as much as to his own exceptional driving skills.

Piquet did not lead until the 71st lap after Mansell had come to a standstill while leading by 10 seconds. He appeared to have a wheel problem with his car.

Piquet then drove on to a comfortable victory. He finished 37.7 seconds ahead of Senna and more than a minute ahead of defending world champion Alain Prost of France in a McLaren.

Belgian Thierry Boutsen in a Benetton was fourth, Italian Riccardo Patrese in a Brabham fifth and Briton Derek Warwick sixth in an Arrows.

Both Ferraris failed to live up to the promise they had shown in practice.

Austrian Gerhard Berger retired while running second after 12 laps and Italian Michele Alboreto retired in the same position after 28 laps.

"Morning Star", 10.08.87

Williams set for victory

NIGEL MANSELL and Nelson Piquet can not settle the world drivers' title in Sunday's Portuguese Grand Prix, but their duel for supremacy should leave their Williams team with the prestigious constructors' championship.

Mansell left the Italian round of the series at Monza two weeks ago still top of the standings, five points ahead of his Brazilian partner and rival.

Two races follow Estoril before the 16-round championship is concluded, Mexico, and then Australia, next month.

A total of 27 points are at stake, too many to decide the individual honours this weekend, even though Mansell will be forced to drop previous scores in the last two rounds if he is among the points again this weekend.

Only the best 11 results count and he has 10 to his credit already.

But Williims aim to clinch the team title for a third time.

They won it in 1980 and 1981 and need only three more points to put themselves beyond the reach of nearest challengers McLaren, who have completed the Formula One "double" for the last two years.

Williams also want to break McLaren's rerord 143.5 haul in 1984.

Constructors points are awarded to the finishing positions of both drivers in a team.

Mansell and Piquet have enjoyed an immensely successful season: Two "one-two" finishes, four victories apiece, and only one Grand Prix, Austria, where they both drew a blank.

"Morning Star", 19.09.87

Ferrai win - at last

GERHARD Berger's blood red Ferrari beat the all conquering Honda engined teams on their home ground in yesterday's Japanese Grand Prix to give the jubilant Italian team their first taste of victory in two years.

But the talented Austrian, tipped by many as a future world champion, warned that Ferrari and the other European teams have a long way to go in the battle with Japan for Formula One supremacy.

"It was good for Ferrari, good for Europe. I hope my win will help motivate my team because I think we will have to work very hard before we can match Honda," he said.

Berger made the most of his pole position to grab the lead on the first corner of this narrow, twisting Honda-owned track.

He rapidly built a lead of almost 10 seconds and despite a mid-race pit stop for a tyre change, Berger never lost his grip on first place.

Berger was never challenged, even through outgoing world champion Alain Prost of France set a lap record as he pushed his McLaren faster in an effort to make up ground lost when a rear tyre shredded on the first lap.

That and Briton Nigel Mansell's withdrawal because of injuries suffered in a practice smash took much of the edge off what could have been the decisive round of the drivers' championship.

Mansell was the only danger with a chance to overhaul the points total of Williams-Honda teammate Nelson Piquet in the season's closing rounds in Japan and in Adelaide on November 15.

His withdrawal on Saturday gave Piquet the title for the third time and, although he had nothing to fight for yesterday the Brazilian waged a gripping battle for third place with compatriot Ayrton Senna in a Lotus until his engine failed late in the race.

Berger acknowledged the difference made by Mansell's misfortune, saying: 'For half a year I fought with Mansell and Piquet. But Mansell was back in London, and therefore Piquet did not push so hard. So I had two cars less to fight with."

'It was a relief not to have those other cars in my mirrors," he added.

"Perhaps it will make it an easier winter for our chief, the old man (Enzo Ferrari). I think he will sleep a little bit better."

It was Berger's second career win and together with a brilliant fourth place by his Italian teammate Michele Alboreto, confirmed the Ferrari team's return to form.

Alboreto, who scored the last Ferrari win in August 1985, Stalled on the grid. He started last because of clutch problems and was then hammpered by a trailing exhaust system which left a spectacular plume of sparks arched behind his car as he battled his way back through the pack.

RESULT
1 Berger (Aust) Ferrari
2 Senna (Bra) Lotus
3 Johansson (Swe) McLaren
4 Alboreto (Ita) Ferrari
5 Boutsen (Bel) Benetton
6 Nakajima (Jap) Lotus
7 Prost (Fra) McLaren
8 Palmer (QB) Tyrrell
9 Cheever (US) Arrows
0 Warwick (GB) Arrow

STANDINGS
1 Piquet (Bra) 73 pts
2 Mansell (GB) 61
3 Senna (Bra) 57
4 Prost (Fra) 46
5 Johansson (Swe) 30

"Morning Star" - 02.11.87

Ferrari's double-top joy in Australia

AUSTRIA'S Gerhard Berger threw down a blood-red gauntlet for 1988 when he overcame blistering heat and an unforgiving track to drive his Ferrari to victory in the Australian Grand Prix yesterday.

Berger, who put the Italian team back on the winner's rostrum at the Japanese Grand Prix two weeks ago, confirmed Ferrari's long-awaited return to form with a near-perfect drive in the final race of the 1987 season.

His and Ferrari's success was completed when the team were gifted their first one-two win since 1985 with the disqualification of Ayrton Senna two hours after the race had ended.

The Brazilian, second across the line, was disqualified becuase the air cooling ducts for the front brakes of his Lotus contravened Formula One regulations.

This lifted the second scarlet Ferrari of Italian Michele Alboreto up to second from third and ended Senna's career at Lotus, one of motor racing's most respected teams, in disappointment.

Berger's overwhelming victory confirmed he posseses the coolness and skill to go on and challenge for the championship and established Ferrari as the team to beat next season following two years in the doldrums.

"I have the feeling we have a good chance of winning the championship in 1988," said Berger, who had started from pole position for the second successive race.

"I don't think I should relax," he added. "I will go home, rest for one week and then start testing for next year. We have to fight straight from the beginning of the season - not in the last races."

Berger's drive in the 35 degree Celsius heat was faultless once he ha8 recovered from the shock of being overtaken by Nelson Piquet on the inside of the first corner.

The newly-crowned world champion from Brazil, in his last drive for Williams before joining Lotus, hardly had time to congratulate himself on the audacious move before Berger ripped past him on the next corner to retake the lead.

From then on the 82-lap race became a procession. Berger converted a three-second lead after the second lap into 10 seconds after 20 laps and the 125,000 crowd turned their attention to the battle for second place.

Senna emerged from a series of fierce tussles, which forced Piquet and last year's winner Alain Prost of France in a McLaren out of the race, to take second place 35 seconds behinder Berger.

His aggressive drive would have earned him enough points to have joined Nigel Mansell in second place in the world drivers' championship.

But disqualification meant he had to settle for third ahead of Prost. Mansell. did not race yesterday because of injury.

Belgian Thierry Boutsen capped Benetton's best season since they arrived on the Formula One scene in 1981 by being placed third.

Piquiet retired after his gear shift broke on the 60th lap, second before Berger's victory appeared momentarily in doubt.

The 1986 world champion had earlier lost second place when Senna and Alborteto took advantage of backmakers baulking the Frenchman to glide past at the exit of the circuit's only chicane.

Britain's Jonathon Palmer took fourth place in his normally-aspirated Tyrrell, Fenchman Yannick Dalmas, in only his third drive for Lola, was promoted to fifth with Brazil's Roberto Moreno moved to sixth after Senna's disqualification.

Lotus widened the air ducts after the brakes overheated during Friday's first qualifying session in the burning Adelaide sun.

"We put in extra ducting after the first practice. We thought we had covered all the rules but we'd missed one," a Lotus team member said.

Only eight of the 26 cars finished the 193-65-mile race - the highest casualty rate of the season - with the demanding circuit troubling even the best.

Prost completed an unhappy week by flying off at a corner after 53 laps while lying fourth.

"Morning Star", 16.11.87


Back in 1987 I was 13 years old unexperienced boy from countryland so these papers were a kind of wonder for me. They gave great amount of information.