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F1 Interview: Michael Schumacher

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Michael Schumacher F1

© P-H Cahier / F1-photo.com

1992. It all started in 1991, but 1992 was the year Michael Schumacher started his first full season in F1, took his first F1 victory and showed the world his promise.

That year was a year when the young Schumacher would only be able to dream of a win. The thought of pitting his Benetton-Ford against the likes of Williams-Renault and McLaren Honda and being victorious were slim, but in typical Schumacher fashion he made the odds work for him.

This interview was held in 1992, before the accusations of cheating, bad sportsmanship, and ultimately before he dragged both Benetton and Ferrari up by the shoestrings to win no fewer than seven drivers championships.

“I am a realistic man,” he said. “I don’t dream about this. That is something for the future. It’s a bit too early to say.” Schumacher was wrong. He might only have scored his first F1 podium in Mexico – third behind the all-conquering Williams-Renaults in just his eighth Grand Prix – but in Spa he won his 18th race. An amazing achievement.
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F1 Interview: Phil Hill

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© P-H Cahier / F1-photo.com

Phil Hill is probably the best American ever to race in Formula One, and many would say that the USA has struggled to produce quality driver ever since. Indeed drivers such as Michael Andretti and Scott Speed have tried and failed and a new American champion is long overdue. David Tremayne interviewed the American World Champion back in 2001 at Imola:

Forty years ago this season the Italian Grand Prix yielded the sport’s greatest prize to Phil Hill. One afternoon in September 1961, after a battle that he and team-mate Wolfgang von Trips had waged all season, the World Championship surrendered to him. But it was a bitter-sweet victory, for Trips lay dead, the victim of an accident with Jim Clark early in the race.
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F1 Interview: Keke Rosberg

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© P-H Cahier / F1-photo.com

September 1st 1992 and it has been ten years since Keke Rosberg clinched the 1982 Formula One World Championship. Four years later he retired to look after the careers of future champion Mika Hakkinen and JJ Lehto.

Rosberg has never been one to shy away from saying what he thinks. So we asked him about how he thinks things have changed in F1.
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F1 Interview: Martin Donnelly

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© P-H Cahier / F1-photo.com

Martin Donnelly was poised to be the next British hope and follow in the footsteps of Nigel Mansell but his career was cut tragically short when his Lotus left the track at high speed and disintegrated upon impact. Donnelly was left strewn in the middle of the Jerez track strapped only to his seat and to most it looked like his luck had run out.

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F1 Interview: Bertrand Gachot

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© P-H Cahier / F1-photo.com

Bertrand Gachot’s spell in jail al but ended his F1 career just as it was starting and outraged the F1 paddock for the perceived injustice bestowed upon him. Some would say it was a grave injustice but it enabled Michael Schumacher to make his debut at Spa, the rest as they say his history for Michael, but Gachot’s struggles were just beginning.

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F1 Interview: Eddie Irvine

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© P-H Cahier / F1-photo.com

On March 8th 1999 Eddie Irvine was on the verge of a season where it would be he rather than Michael Schumacher who would carry Ferraris title hopes, for at Silverstone that year Schumacher would break his leg. But in March Irvine was expecting to take a supporting role as he had from when he signed from Jordan in 1996.

Joe Saward caught up with Irvine before the season opener:
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F1 Interview: Nigel Mansell

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© P-H Cahier / F1-photo.com

Depending upon when you were born the answer to “name an English F1 word champion” changes. If you are fortunate enough to be born after 2000 then you will say Hamilton or Button, in the late 90′s you would say Damon Hill, but anybody from the 80′s or early 90′s go straight to Nigel Mansell.

Despite his inability to admit that his hand was blessed with aces when he won in a dominant Williams Renault in 1992 he was taken to the British publics heart owing to his undoubted commitment and his fighting spirit, never backing down to anybody on the track.
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F1 Interview: Ayrton Senna

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© P-H Cahier / F1-photo.com

November 1990 and Ayrton Senna has won his second world championship in controversial fashion having punted Alain Prost off the road at high speed in Suzuka at the penultimate race. Payback for 1989 some may say but the world wonders if Senna has any regrets over how the title was won.

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F1 Interview: Stefano Modena

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November 1st 1990, and Joe Saward is interviewing Stefan Modena. Modena was on the eve of joining Tyrrell, sadly the team is set to start its slow demise:

Stefano Modena will replace Jean Alesi at Tyrrell next season and there are many in Formula 1 who believe Stefano has just as much — if not more — talent than F1′s current rising star.
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F1 Interview: Eric Bernard

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Eric Bernard could have been set to be the man to take over the reigns as the next big French F1 hope after Alain Prost, but he was pipped to the limelight by Jean Alesi owing, in the most part, to a stunning drive where Alesi and Senna battled for the lead at Phoenix 1990. After that their paths divided and it was Alesi who went on to drive for Ferrari while Bernard had to settle for lesser machinery.

Joe Saward interviewed Eric Bernard on 1st July 1990:

“I think Jean is a very quick driver,” says Eric in his rather charming Franglais accent. “I think, in his position, it is normal to be quick. He is a good driver in a good car. He has not a bad Cosworth engine and very good Pirelli tyres — they are very important to be at the front of the grid for the races.
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