Your classic grand prix - race 15
We have a special treat for the audience of our classic grand prix series this week -extended highlights of two great past races rather than the usual one.
As regular readers of this blog will know, we ask you to tell us which is your favourite of four races we choose from the 91Èȱ¬ Sport archive. We read those views and then select a race from which to broadcast the full 'Grand Prix' highlights programme shown at the time.
It is not a 'vote' per se, but this time it was such a close call between two of the races that we have decided to show the 'Grand Prix' programme for both, as well as the shorter highlights we cut for all the races.
As the idea is to whet your appetites for this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, we are also broadcasting both short and long highlights of 's victory at the Marina Bay Circuit last year.
The two classic races we have chosen are the 1982 Detroit Grand Prix and the 1985 San Marino Grand Prix. The long highlights of these are embedded in this blog, with links to the other races - the 1979 Dutch Grand Prix, 1980 French Grand Prix and Singapore last year - at the bottom.
The classic races will be brodcast on the 91Èȱ¬ red button on satellite and cable television in the UK from 1500 BST on Wednesday 22 September until 1055 on Friday 24 September. They will be on Freeview from 2300 on Thursday until 0645 on Friday.
Why two? Well, when we counted up the 'votes' from respondents, there was only one in it. Both are thrilling in their very different ways, so we decided both merited the full treatment.
I described all the races in my blog last week, but will give the two 'winners' a brief run-through here.
The 1982 Detroit Grand Prix featured a brilliant drive from Northern Irishman , who won after qualifying 17th.
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It was one of two similar performances he produced for in the US within nine months of each other - the other came at Long Beach the following year, when he won from 22nd on the grid!
Even though he did not start from quite so far back, Watson's performance in Detroit was arguably better, because overtaking was probably more difficult there than in Long Beach.
The , held on downtown streets in 'Motor City' around the Renaissance Center skyscraper complex, was characterised by a high number of right-angled bends, although it also had two hairpins and a tunnel.
The difficulty of overtaking on the narrow, bumpy track was highlighted by a number of incidents - including one that forced the race to be stopped on lap seven, by which time Watson was already up to 13th.
Later on, Watson's team-mate inadvertently proved it, too. After Watson had taken the lead from 's , Lauda then made a mess of trying to pass the Finn and took himself out.
The other highlighted race is the 1985 San Marino Grand Prix, one of the closest races of the great mid-1980s period, with a quite extraordinary finish.
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led much of the race in his - but he was under intense pressure for many laps, first from the of , then the McLaren of .
There was some quite brilliant racing throughout, but things became almost surreal in the last three laps.
First Senna retired having run out of fuel, and then , having taken the lead and seeming set to take a win for Ferrari at home in Italy in only his second race for the team, did the same.
That put Prost into the lead - and he duly took the flag, only to run out of fuel himself halfway around his slowing down lap.
"I bet you'll never see a grand prix more exciting than that," Murray Walker said at the end of the race.
- Prost's car was found to be 2kg under weight and the Frenchman was disqualified, handing the win to Senna's team-mate Elio de Angelis.
The highlights of the other races are linked below:
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Comment number 1.
At 22nd Sep 2010, auslegal wrote:I shouldn't look a gifthorse in the mouth. I was hoping to see Zandvoort 79, long highights. Saying that, I'm happy to be seeing such great races and such great coverage.
Thanks again and keep up the good work.
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Comment number 2.
At 22nd Sep 2010, hamdoesit007 wrote:Wonderfull stuff, two Classic Grand Prix shows for the price of one, and on Freeview as well, thank you. Let just hope the Singapore Grand prix is at least as good as the last two races, even if it can't match up to the picks in this selection.
Great coverage as usual from the 91Èȱ¬, here is looking forward to First Practice on Friday morning.
Thanks Andrew, have a great weekend!
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Comment number 3.
At 22nd Sep 2010, Kif wrote:2. hamdoesit007 wrote: "Wonderfull [sic] stuff, two Classic Grand Prix shows for the price of one, and on Freeview as well, thank you."
I second that emotion. The F1 Preview is still showing up on my Freeview EPG (after it was pulled before, I take nothing for granted!), so I'm looking forward to the show.
Cheers, AB. Have a good one.
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Comment number 4.
At 22nd Sep 2010, stevvy1986 wrote:Great to see a double bill of long highlights. Looking forward to watching these.
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Comment number 5.
At 22nd Sep 2010, wehateowls wrote:thanks andrew for extended highlights of two races rather than the usual one looking forward to wednesday aldready
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Comment number 6.
At 22nd Sep 2010, mtpleasant wrote:Many thanks for getting them onto Freeview this time. Looking forward to it! Great job.
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Comment number 7.
At 22nd Sep 2010, Swerve1 wrote:Crikey, the Freeview Controller certainly blows hot and cold.
Its either nothing or 3 solid days worth! I might check out the CBeebies or Weekend Wogan Blogs to see if they're having the sort of complaints that are usually found on this blog regarding Freeview coverage this week!!
Still, can't knock it! Brilliant stuff. Keep up the good work Andrew and for once i'll be able to put my feet up on the settee and watch these in the comfort of my living room.
Looking forward to Detroit and Imola.
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Comment number 8.
At 22nd Sep 2010, Swerve1 wrote:Crikey, the Freeview Controller certainly blows hot and cold.
Its either nothing or 3 solid days worth! I might check out the CBeebies or Weekend Wogan Blogs to see if they're having the sort of complaints that are usually found on this blog regarding Freeview coverage this week!!
Still, can't knock it! Brilliant stuff. Keep up the good work Andrew and for once i'll be able to put my feet up on the settee and watch these in the comfort of my living room.
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Comment number 9.
At 22nd Sep 2010, Swerve1 wrote:Crikey, the Freeview Controller certainly blows hot and cold.
Its either nothing or 3 solid days worth! I might check out the CBeebies or Weekend Wogan Blogs to see if they're having the sort of complaints that are usually found on this blog regarding Freeview coverage this week!!
Still, can't knock it! Brilliant stuff. Keep up the good work Andrew and for once i'll be able to put my feet up on the settee and watch these in the comfort of my living room.
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Comment number 10.
At 22nd Sep 2010, Andrew Benson wrote:Hi all,
Many apologies, but I have to point out an error in my initial blog. On Freeview, the classic races will be available from 2300 on Thursday, not Wednesday as I initially said.
Sorry for the confusion - and this has now been amended.
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Comment number 11.
At 22nd Sep 2010, Red_Five_1992 wrote:Ohh, at last a couple of large slices of classic F1 to tuck into, nice! Looking forward to watching them after. Andrew, I guess youre still undecided on next years format, but whatever happens can you PLEASE try to cram in as much of the 91Èȱ¬s archives as possible over the remainder of the next 3 and a bit years as Ive a bad feeling that Sky are going to nab the F1 rights when the 91Èȱ¬s contract expires. As F1 isnt on the 'crown jewels' list News Intl. will see it as fair game and offer Bernie a crazy amount. Though give him his due Bernie has in the past done his best to make sure F1 is live on free to air TV, but Ive seen worrying signs from Sky over the last few years where they go on a wild spending spree buying long term exclusive UK rights to all sorts of USTV and sports rights. If they do get the F1 rights, Im sorry to say this, but thatll be the time for me to give up... On a more positive note thanks again for a great selection.
Cheers
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Comment number 12.
At 22nd Sep 2010, SennaSchuHamilton wrote:As always, an excellent service, so nice to see the classic grands prix, thanks Andrew!
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Comment number 13.
At 22nd Sep 2010, TheBraveDoNotFearTheGrav3 wrote:Nice one andrew! someone get that man a cup of tea and a biscuit!
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Comment number 14.
At 22nd Sep 2010, Peter wrote:Brilliant... sitting here now watching that superb drive from John Watson in Detroit. Amazing performance, almost as good as yours Andrew in getting this stuff on for us ;) long may out continue.
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Comment number 15.
At 23rd Sep 2010, Dennis wrote:thanks i got my wish of both 82 and 85. superb races
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Comment number 16.
At 23rd Sep 2010, Dan Dispain wrote:These videos pre GP are ace. Always a pleasure to mix strong coffee, biscuits and a fantastic bit of F1 nostalgia.
I am always surprised when I watch the races from when I was a kid (mid 80's) at how much the sport has changed, how the safety has improved, how the TV coverage has improved and how the tracks have evolved. Looking forward to Singapore!
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Comment number 17.
At 23rd Sep 2010, livpoksoc wrote:Andrew,
Thanks for this, it's so good to get it back on freeview (especially after my antifreeview rants) Thanks again for arranging this Mr Benson!
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Comment number 18.
At 23rd Sep 2010, James Chapman wrote:Nice one! Really wasn't expecting to see two extended highlights so a big thumbs up from me (even though my personal choice would have been France '80)!
Also I was amazed that "Ivory Tower" was used as the grid music as far back as 1985 - I always thought of it as an early '90s thing!
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Comment number 19.
At 24th Sep 2010, motorbassman wrote:Hi Andrew and everybody
Thanks to everyone for a great choice of races to enjoy and I am especially grateful to be able to watch them on Freeview.
Many thanks to Andrew for a real treat this week
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Comment number 20.
At 24th Sep 2010, Riggadon wrote:"If they (sky) do get the F1 rights, Im sorry to say this, but thatll be the time for me to give up" Red_Five_1992
If that does happen, I will be doing the same as you. I have already had football, cricket and boxing taken away from me by Murdoch's hungry beast (and my decision to boycot anything to do with sky), it's very surprising that the last pleasure I have left on the 91Èȱ¬ is actually the most commercial sport that I follow and the one that in my mind, would have been the most likely to get eaten up by sky....but here we are, still clinging to this rock called the Beeb, still enjoying fantastic coverage.
Like I say, F1 is one of the last sports I have left that has'nt been taken by sky. On that level alone, you know I always root for the Beeb.
We just need to get some of these sports back on free to view tv, or I fear for the sporting future of this nation.
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Comment number 21.
At 24th Sep 2010, Riggadon wrote:P.S Cheers Andrew for this blog. Two classic races. "ahhh ambassador, wiv zis ferrero rocher, you are spoiling us!!!"
You're a gentleman and a scholar, sir.
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Comment number 22.
At 24th Sep 2010, MGUK82 wrote:Singapore '09: For some reason felt like watching the full highlights show of this race. Remember being delighted for Lewis and it must have been round this point in the season when someone suggested that Jenson should buy Lewis a drink because he was turning out to be a great ally in the race for the championship.
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Comment number 23.
At 25th Sep 2010, Julian LZB87 wrote:Could someone please explain why Webber was deemed to have made an illegal move and penalised for passing Alonso on the outside at Singapore?
Thanks.
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Comment number 24.
At 26th Sep 2010, MGUK82 wrote:USA '82: Very nice win from Watson but these aggregate races are pretty messy though
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Comment number 25.
At 4th Oct 2010, Gaz wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 26.
At 5th Dec 2010, U14623168 wrote:All this user's posts have been removed.Why?
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