For a Formula One fan, there is no more grievous experience than
being consistently taunted by claims that that the sport they love
is a dumbed down, sterilised and generally dull shadow of its
former self. These claims usually centre on nostalgia created by
the carefree life in the fast lane attitude of the sixties or the
incredible power of the undeniably impressive turbo era. But what
long time fans and pundits remember most is the drivers - the
characters of racing past who made the sport so exciting. Those
were the days, we're told.
The implication is that the racing drivers of yesteryear were
charismatic, daring and above all, extremely talented - and that in
comparison, the current grid is made up pampered poodles who
wouldn't know what do with the monstrous machines of the past. The
likes of Fangio, Moss, Clarke, Stewart, Lauda, Hunt, Mansell and
Senna are trotted out to prove the point. We're told that they
don't make them like that any more.
This is where I disagree. Yes, the sport has changed. It has
become infinitely safer for starters, and regardless of the magical
aura of decades past, the corresponding mortality rate wasn't
something to be admired. The drivers too are different, highly
trained professionals who have perfected the art of racing -
strategy, cornering, overtaking. Just because they have mastered
the thoughtful approach necessary to be successful in the modern
age, does this detract from their credibility as "racing drivers"?
Are today's top men really worse pilots than their legendary
predecessors?
I would argue not. In fact, it is easy to claim that 2012 marks
a golden era for Formula One, a season contested by some of the
most talented drivers of all time. Six world champions will take to
the grid, with an unprecedented fourteen titles between them. Are
they all personality-less droids? Well, the fact is that modern
motorsport requires a degree of PR savvy. But still, we have some
great characters on and off track. Schumacher is ruthless, Hamilton
is boisterous, Alonso is cunning, Button is calculating, Vettel is
charming and Kimi likes a good party. Then we've got the
no-nonsense, matey Mark Webber, the infectious enthusiasm of Kamui
Kobayashi and the chatty friendliness of Heikki Kovalainen. We're
not short on characters, or talent either.
What we have today is an era that more than rivals the famed
late eighties, when Prost, Senna, Piquet, Mansell and Berger
battled it out. Doesn't Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, Button,
Schumacher and Raikkonen sound even more appealing? Because that's
what we've got next year. It is an incredible array of talent - and
personality - which I believe constitutes a new golden era for F1.
At no time in the sport's history have we enjoyed so many real
professionals going head to head. Yes, their role has evolved, but
isn't that the case for all sports? Roger Federer plays a different
game to Fred Perry. Christiano Ronaldo requires strengths differing
from those of Pelé. They each excel in much evolved
professions.
As for the machinery, that's changed too. But the fact of the
matter is that today's F1 cars are faster and safer than they have
been for the large part of the sport's history, and thanks to
modern technology we've also got a show to rival the spectacle of
the past too. Whilst the skinny wheeled cars of fifty years ago, or
the frighteningly high powered creations of twenty years ago were
difficult to control, they weren't any better at doing their job.
Today's cars are undoubtedly easier to handle, but they are much
more effective as a result - and would still flummox the ordinary
driver.
Time has changed our sport, its participants and its machines.
Does this mean that we can never capture our own golden age? No. In
fact, there's one right ahead.