Several words after the last season…
For certain among people reading these lines will be found some person which on October, 26, 1986 were observing live Australia Grand Prix events and saw, how on Naijel Mansell's Williams, which was rushing to the first champion rank in his career, his left rear tire has blown up. We can only envy these people because eventually shades and details erase from memory, but the fact of participation in something extraordinary is never forgotten. I, as well as the overwhelming majority of present F1 admirers, 21 years ago didn't care a brass farthing for add races which in addition were carried out on the other planet's end.
But let's return to Adelaide-86. It is considered, that two decades ago Alan Prost with Ron Dennis have created a small miracle - obviously conceding to contenders from Williams in speed, could impose to them their game and came out from it winners. So, while talking about that remarkable Grand Prix for some reason people quite often forget that on Prost's victory altar McLaren has put his partner's Keijo Rosberg performance. For Finn Adelaide-86 was his last start in F1, and the victory looked quite possible. To the champion of 1982 it was suffice to put his own interests above interests of the team and soon after the distance's midpoint to change those "durable" tires which were "invented" by Dennis with Prost before the race. But Keijo has remained on the track, has retreated because of the blow-off and has left F1 without a victory. But he has left with his head high.
And now attention to the question. Can you imagine that doughy because of stress Rosberg's (Prost's, Pike's, Mansell's…) father from boxes of the Adelaide's track steadfastly watches the race, ready in any second to run to judges - and then to journalists - with the regular protest? I can't do that…
Another time generates other customs. I do not doubt that everybody saw, how on McLaren car of Lewis Hamilton, who rushed to the first in his career champion rank, gearbox's electronics has left in a deep corkscrew. Why this has occurred - is not our problem, but team's, in fact this is not the main thing. During that moment when the silvery machine with the two on its nose spinner was hardly running to Ferradura turn, and millions of fans all over the world were shouting head off - some from improbable disappointment and others because of boundless happiness - was suddenly found out, that high technologies, mullions-strong fees, managers, producers and promoters were not able to affect the most simple things. The character's strength and professionalism are checked in difficult situations - and it just has been one of them.
And while Mark Webber with Jenson Button with gloomy emotions came back in boxes, while Kazuki Nakajima acted heroically, at times overstepping the mark, while Heikki Kovalainen sadly looked at his broken car, but Nico Rosberg and guys from BMW Sauber almost have brought Kimi's fans up to a heart attack, two teams - four pilots and a several hundreds of the various staff - were doing their work, as they say - usual man's work.
Scuderia fairly had luck - the team has kept more reserves, without wasting nerves toward the season's end. Besides, the Brazilian track approached F2007 a little more, than MP 4-22. Such state of affairs has made Fernando to retire, has allowed to define Felipe's degree of loyalty (it has been painful to see the Brazilian during ceremony of rewarding. But he, as well as Keijo Rosberg in 86-th, was finishing the season as a winner) and has made Kimi, as a matter of fact, only the observer.
Remember this championship. Probably, a respectable elder will make his next dream a reality, and in the near future F1 seasons are waiting for us, where pilots of four or five teams will fight for a title. And even if it's true, the championship-07 has turned out extremely interesting and has presented us an outcome that can be envied by any Hollywood. It is a pity, that all this is already a history. And we have become witnesses of this history.