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Daddy Nostalgia

15 June 2016  12:08 PM

In the high-range motor racing competition, like FORMULA 1®, those considered the greatest of all times, didn’t have a dad driver and therefore an image on which lose a face or overcome it. Juan Manuel Fangio (who began at the F1 in 1950), Jim Clark (in 1960), Jochen Rindt (in 1964), Jackie Stewart (in 1965), Emerson Fittipaldi (in 1970), Alain Prost (in 1980), Ayrton Senna (in 1984), Michael Schumacher (in 1991), Sebastian Vettel (in 2007), or Lewis Hamilton (who began in 2006): they had no necessity to annihilate a father shadow on the same discipline or on a similar job, to be a figure in fullness. We cannot say the same about some other figures and famous. For Alberto Ascari who began his career in 1950 and was crowned as a world champion in 1952 and 1953 dying in Monza 1955, things were very different. Ascari’s father previously wrote his own legend at the wheel, don Antonio participated in Grand Prix since the prehistory and wrote golden pages in the Italian sport; he died in 1926 at the GP in France. Alberto was 10 years old and took the same path as a vital route. Another very different fate had the British Graham Hill and his son Damon. Daddy Hill, took the world title in 1962 and 1968. Closing with casement drum of the Grand Slam, since he also won the 500 Miles of Indianapolis 500 miles (in 1966) also the 24 hours of de Le Mans (1972) to die in his plane in 1975. Damon was 15 years old and despite he began a little late in FORMULA 1®, (until 1992) he became the world championship with the wonderful Williams-Renault FW-18, in 1996. A year later on that same car, but with the FW-19 Jacques Villeneuve was also crowned champion, who had started on the F1, just a year before. His father Gilles, has been one of the most revered drivers ever. Daddy Villeneuve, died in Zolder Belgium in 1982, when Jacques was only 11 years old. The Andretti who are a great institution on motor racing in the United States, also left their mark on the F1, Mario –the dad– was the second American champion with Lotus in 1978. Michael was his descendant, with a fleeting visit and with no results to take into account; after 13 races with McLaren, he got a podium and 7 points in duet with Ayrton Senna in 1993. He never felt fine in La Carpa. More couples formed by father and son have gone through the FORMULA 1®. The case of Jack Brabham is remarkable, and almost all his descendants proved to do it, although he didn’t achieve anything spectacular, David and Gary are on the list; and their grandchildren won’t take too long in proving themselves, so it is known. A time like the present is hard to find again with the: Rosberg, the Palmer, the Magnussen and the Verstappen in lbiza. Keke Rosberg and Nico are a unique family. Dad R., was a single race champion, won aboard a Williams in 1982 (the FW-08, with a Ford Cosworth driver) it has been one of the most soulless tournament in the history, where the only victory was at the Switzerland GP, fought in Dijon-Prenois; in fact, after having taken 114 starts he only got five victories. Nico has not been distinguished for being terribly productive, to put it gently, he reaches 191 starts until the GP de Monaco 2016 and has gotten barely 18 victories, for a percentage of 9.42, which is low. The interesting fact has been, that at the beginning of his career, Nico had Keke as manager, until he fired him. It was a lot of pressure and little understanding. They became friends again, but clearly keeping the distance between them. Quite the opposite of what happens with the Danish, Magnussen. Jan, who started in 1995 with 25 races and barely one point collected, is closet o Kevin; who made his debut in 2014 and have scored 61 scores, 55 points with McLaren and six with Renault, the team for which he works now. The Verstappen, from Netherlands, also make and effective tandem, Jos, since 1994 to 2003, collected 17 units and gained a lot of experience. So much experience that he had his son Max, debuting as the youngest driver ever. With 25 starts, 87 points and one victory with Red Bull already, and barely 18 years on last September. The Palmer, are thoroughbred Englishmen. Jonathan began in 1983 and left a service record with 14 points. Joylon Jr. he is enrolled since last year, as a reserve, reaching barely 5 GP this season, since in Bahrain did not take the start due to a failure on his Renault and he cannot still make points. But he has exhibited some promising things. We will see if it works. But not all father and son stories have had rose ending. Nelson Piquet was a great champion in 1981, 1983 and 1987. On the contrary, Nelsinho, did wrong and left a negative impression, by participating on that famous Singapore affair, where he crashed his car against the wall, to allow Fernando Alonso to win the race in 2008. Eventually they finished the season with the Spanish in fifth place at the Standing, the Brazilian in 12th, but cost him the expulsion of several controls on the Renault then and a few years before Renault farewell from the Circus during over four seasons. This is the history of lineages in FORMULA 1®, there are still more chapters to be written, but the most promising in the short term is the Verstappen’s. It is just a matter of time.