Flashback: Montoya Takes First GP Win at Monza
F1 Fanatic has a nice feature about the recent history of BMW in Formula 1, condensing 10 years into 100 pictures. It’s a bit of a flashback for me, as I started following F1 in 2001 with Juan Pablo Montoya’s move from IndyCars to the BMW-Williams team. I remember waking up early on Sunday mornings to follow the live commentary on the internet, since I was living in the dorms at the time and the university TV didn’t have Speedvision. Upon moving to my first apartment–and finally getting cable installed–the first race I saw was the 2001 Italian Grand Prix, Montoya’s first F1 victory. After several years with Williams, Montoya moved to McLaren, and I was on vacation in Spain with Sara when I found out he had left the team (and the sport) for NASCAR.
In other F1 news, Toyota have decided to call it quits and face all the problems associated with pulling out of the sport with immediate effect. Their involvement in the sport could be characterized as unfulfilled potential delivered with poor financial efficiency, if you will. On the other end of the manufacturer spectrum, Mercedes has announced that it is taking over the Brawn team (winners of the 2009 title) as expected. McLaren–a long-time Mercedes partner–will still be involved with the manufacturer through a continued engine supply contract but will become more independent overall. The F1 driver market remains exceptionally unresolved given the time of the year; current world champion Jenson Button as well as many other top drivers have still not signed for drives in 2010.
Finally, Ferrari had their annual end of the year party for the fans in Valencia over the weekend. Several highlights: Felipe Massa getting behind the wheel of the F60 for the first time since his accident in Hungary, Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo beaching his Ferrari California in a gravel trap with Massa and Fernando Alonso in the back seat (see the video), and of course Alonso looking dandy in his first public appearance for Ferrari.
