APRIL 19, 2005

Risk taking at Imola

The Spanish are famous for machismo, an obsession for being manly and confrontational towards other men. Thus it is somewhat ironic to hear that Michael Schumacher is now gently taunting Fernando Alonso, suggesting that the Spaniard needs to think of winning the World Championship and so needs to take fewer risks while he has nothing to lose.

"I can attack and push," said the German. "All the other drivers can take more risks than he can."

While trying to play mind games with the opposition is all part of the Formula 1 game, Michael needs to remember that there is a downside to taking too many big risks. Eleven years ago F1 arrived at Imola with an oddly similar story to this season: the established star Ayrton Senna had struggled in the early races and needed to score points. The young challenger Michael Schumacher was well ahead in the World Championship.

Senna was determined to win the San Marino Grand Prix, Schumacher was behind him and pressuring hard when Senna took a risk and went over bumps on the inside of Tamburello Corner and went off and was killed.

Something for an ageing F1 driver to think about.