France, the beautiful country
"What is it about France that you like so much," said Dimitri, my Russian friend, a couple of months ago as he and I walked along a busy street in the City of London in search of a convenient bolt-hole for a refreshing after-work snifter. I had just returned from "mourning" the passing of my fortieth year in Corsica and was filled with the joys of spring.
"A million and one reasons, Dimitri," I said, "but let's take one for the sake of argument. La Marseillaise is the best national anthem in the world." Dimitri snorted and harrumphed. His patriotism had been impugned.
"If that is your reason, you should have instead considered visiting Russia to celebrate such an important occasion," he said. "The Russian anthem is better than any other. That glorious anthem used to make the world shit when it was the Soviet anthem! People heard it and respected Soviet power. And anyway, what is this stupid Marseillaise?"
I needed no further bidding to begin humming the famous chorus: "taran-tara-taran-tara- ra-ra".
At that moment something decidedly curious happened. An elegantly dressed girl walking a couple of yards ahead of us turned round to face me, flashed me a beautiful smile, shouted "très bien!" and then blew me a kiss. She then carried on along her merry way as if affectionately congratulating a stranger's appreciation of La Marseillaise was the most natural thing in the world to do. Dimitri was stunned.
"That girl is beautiful," he said. "Why did she do that?"
"I'd love to say it was because of my charming magnetism but can't," I said. "The truth is quite simple really: she did it because she's French."
"Wow," said Dimitri, "I see now why you love France so much."
If you watched Thierry Henry and his men getting unceremoniously booted out of Euro 2008 this week by Italy, this weekend will allow you an opportunity to forget your grief. For, contrary to my fears this time last year, France will host the French Grand Prix at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours this weekend. Truth be told, this is not a particularly brilliant circuit and it is located in an unexceptional part of France. Still, this race may be significant in the world championship because it could portend a great deal. We are at a crucial point in the drivers' championship and the result on Sunday matters more than is immediately apparent. I am curious to see how some drivers will behave after the bizarre race we witnessed a fortnight ago in Montreal.
The chap with the most to prove is the driver who did not seem capable of putting a foot wrong for most of 2007: the English boy wonder Lewis Hamilton. The week before the Canadian Grand Prix, Anthony Hamilton, sire of Lewis Hamilton, found himself scratching his head in embarrassment after he had crashed a Porsche Carrera GT worth £330,000 through a hedge while driving slowly not terribly far from his house. In Montreal it was the turn of the younger, more talented Hamilton. Anxious to rejoin the circuit after a pit-stop during a safety car situation, Lewis failed to notice that the light at the end of the pit lane was red and two cars were waiting for it to turn green before accelerating back onto the circuit. Noticing his error too late, he tried braking and swerving but it was all too late. He crashed his McLaren Mercedes into the back of the stationary Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen and managed to wreck both cars. Robert Kubica parked to the right of the Ferrari saw the mayhem on his left and knew then that his day had come. He silently thanked his Gods for their extraordinary munificence and went on to become the first ever BMW-Sauber driver and the first ever Pole to win a Formula One Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton's cringe worthy gaffe was not only viewed dimly by Raikkonen (who, unsurprisingly, called it "stupid"), it also raised the eyebrows of the race stewards. Rightly, Hamilton will be penalised this weekend. Irrespective of how well he qualifies on Saturday, he will be demoted ten places down the grid. Magny-Cours is usually a race won on pit strategy, so there may be a chance for the lad but, frankly, I can't see it. That ridiculous error may well cost him dear. By gifting the race to the ever consistent Mr Kubica, Hamilton has set the rumour mill spinning more furiously than I have known in a long while.
Kubica clearly has the makings of a champion. Others - including Bernie Ecclestone - have said that he and Fernando Alonso are currently the best drivers in Formula One. The improvement in the fortunes of BMW has been such that it would be bordering on insanity for Kubica to contemplate anything other than signing a long term contract with the team. At the same time, Alonso's hounds have been seen sniffing around the BMW paddock. It comes as no surprise to anyone that the two times world champion would dearly love to be back in a competitive car as soon as possible. BMW would suit him perfectly. Similarly, given the satisfactory but hardly stellar performance of Kubica's team-mate, Nick Heidfeld, it does not require too many brain cells to work out that BMW would also view the enrolment of Alonso favourably. The only question mark for the team would be whether he can tame his prima donna tendencies and accept equal parity with Kubica. The last thing BMW need is a repeat of the nonsensical situation at McLaren between Alonso and Hamilton in 2007.
A word about matters more celebratory. A week ago, Renault team owner and billionaire, Flavio Briatore, married 28-year-old former Wonderbra model, Elisabetta Gregoraci, in a glittering ceremony attended by, among others, Silvio Berlusconi, Bernie Ecclestone and everybody else who matters in Anglo-Italian sport. Brushing aside snide sniggers at the 30+ years age gap, Flav was in top form as he stepped out in his shiny grey penguin suit and, bizarrely, black velvet sandals, each bearing the initials "FE" for Flavio and Elisabetta.. "I'm as excited as if a Grand Prix race was starting," said Flav. Isn't Elisabetta a lucky girl?
Magny-Cours tends to be a rather predictable race. This is one of those circuits which scream "Ferrari!" at every corner. There is no gainsaying the success Michael Schumacher enjoyed at Magny-Cours. Eight wins (two with Benetton, though) is nothing short of remarkable. I will stick my neck out for this one. I think Schumacher protégé, Felipe Massa, will win it. Anyone fancy a wager against me? Prompt payment on Monday. Meanwhile,
Enjoy Magny-Cours!
Gitau
20 June 2008
"A million and one reasons, Dimitri," I said, "but let's take one for the sake of argument. La Marseillaise is the best national anthem in the world." Dimitri snorted and harrumphed. His patriotism had been impugned.
"If that is your reason, you should have instead considered visiting Russia to celebrate such an important occasion," he said. "The Russian anthem is better than any other. That glorious anthem used to make the world shit when it was the Soviet anthem! People heard it and respected Soviet power. And anyway, what is this stupid Marseillaise?"
I needed no further bidding to begin humming the famous chorus: "taran-tara-taran-tara- ra-ra".
At that moment something decidedly curious happened. An elegantly dressed girl walking a couple of yards ahead of us turned round to face me, flashed me a beautiful smile, shouted "très bien!" and then blew me a kiss. She then carried on along her merry way as if affectionately congratulating a stranger's appreciation of La Marseillaise was the most natural thing in the world to do. Dimitri was stunned.
"That girl is beautiful," he said. "Why did she do that?"
"I'd love to say it was because of my charming magnetism but can't," I said. "The truth is quite simple really: she did it because she's French."
"Wow," said Dimitri, "I see now why you love France so much."
If you watched Thierry Henry and his men getting unceremoniously booted out of Euro 2008 this week by Italy, this weekend will allow you an opportunity to forget your grief. For, contrary to my fears this time last year, France will host the French Grand Prix at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours this weekend. Truth be told, this is not a particularly brilliant circuit and it is located in an unexceptional part of France. Still, this race may be significant in the world championship because it could portend a great deal. We are at a crucial point in the drivers' championship and the result on Sunday matters more than is immediately apparent. I am curious to see how some drivers will behave after the bizarre race we witnessed a fortnight ago in Montreal.
The chap with the most to prove is the driver who did not seem capable of putting a foot wrong for most of 2007: the English boy wonder Lewis Hamilton. The week before the Canadian Grand Prix, Anthony Hamilton, sire of Lewis Hamilton, found himself scratching his head in embarrassment after he had crashed a Porsche Carrera GT worth £330,000 through a hedge while driving slowly not terribly far from his house. In Montreal it was the turn of the younger, more talented Hamilton. Anxious to rejoin the circuit after a pit-stop during a safety car situation, Lewis failed to notice that the light at the end of the pit lane was red and two cars were waiting for it to turn green before accelerating back onto the circuit. Noticing his error too late, he tried braking and swerving but it was all too late. He crashed his McLaren Mercedes into the back of the stationary Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen and managed to wreck both cars. Robert Kubica parked to the right of the Ferrari saw the mayhem on his left and knew then that his day had come. He silently thanked his Gods for their extraordinary munificence and went on to become the first ever BMW-Sauber driver and the first ever Pole to win a Formula One Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton's cringe worthy gaffe was not only viewed dimly by Raikkonen (who, unsurprisingly, called it "stupid"), it also raised the eyebrows of the race stewards. Rightly, Hamilton will be penalised this weekend. Irrespective of how well he qualifies on Saturday, he will be demoted ten places down the grid. Magny-Cours is usually a race won on pit strategy, so there may be a chance for the lad but, frankly, I can't see it. That ridiculous error may well cost him dear. By gifting the race to the ever consistent Mr Kubica, Hamilton has set the rumour mill spinning more furiously than I have known in a long while.
Kubica clearly has the makings of a champion. Others - including Bernie Ecclestone - have said that he and Fernando Alonso are currently the best drivers in Formula One. The improvement in the fortunes of BMW has been such that it would be bordering on insanity for Kubica to contemplate anything other than signing a long term contract with the team. At the same time, Alonso's hounds have been seen sniffing around the BMW paddock. It comes as no surprise to anyone that the two times world champion would dearly love to be back in a competitive car as soon as possible. BMW would suit him perfectly. Similarly, given the satisfactory but hardly stellar performance of Kubica's team-mate, Nick Heidfeld, it does not require too many brain cells to work out that BMW would also view the enrolment of Alonso favourably. The only question mark for the team would be whether he can tame his prima donna tendencies and accept equal parity with Kubica. The last thing BMW need is a repeat of the nonsensical situation at McLaren between Alonso and Hamilton in 2007.
A word about matters more celebratory. A week ago, Renault team owner and billionaire, Flavio Briatore, married 28-year-old former Wonderbra model, Elisabetta Gregoraci, in a glittering ceremony attended by, among others, Silvio Berlusconi, Bernie Ecclestone and everybody else who matters in Anglo-Italian sport. Brushing aside snide sniggers at the 30+ years age gap, Flav was in top form as he stepped out in his shiny grey penguin suit and, bizarrely, black velvet sandals, each bearing the initials "FE" for Flavio and Elisabetta.. "I'm as excited as if a Grand Prix race was starting," said Flav. Isn't Elisabetta a lucky girl?
Magny-Cours tends to be a rather predictable race. This is one of those circuits which scream "Ferrari!" at every corner. There is no gainsaying the success Michael Schumacher enjoyed at Magny-Cours. Eight wins (two with Benetton, though) is nothing short of remarkable. I will stick my neck out for this one. I think Schumacher protégé, Felipe Massa, will win it. Anyone fancy a wager against me? Prompt payment on Monday. Meanwhile,
Enjoy Magny-Cours!
Gitau
20 June 2008
posted by Gitau at 3:16 pm
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