The Blue Helmet

“There are only three sports: bullfighting, mountain climbing and motor racing; all the rest are merely games."

“There are only three sports: bullfighting, mountain climbing and motor racing; all the rest are merely games."

- Ernest Hemingway

PROLOGUE

14 May 1988 QUALIFYING FOR MONACO GRAND PRIX

The spine tingling spectacle of the late Ayrton Senna on a qualifying lap provided some of the most thrilling moments in the history of the sport. There has never been a faster driver over a single lap - his record of 65 pole positions is unlikely to ever be broken - nor has anyone thought so deeply about it. When he talked about his memorable lap, the one that left the most indelible impression on his exceptional mind, Senna's eyes shone with a faraway look and his voice quavered with intensity...

"Suddenly I realised that I was no longer driving the car consciously. I was kind of driving by instinct, only I was in a different dimension. I was way over the limit; but still I was able to find even more. It frightened me, because I realised I was well beyond my conscious understanding."

- "the late, great" Ayrton Senna * from ‘FORMULA 1: The Autobiography‘ Edited by Gerald Donaldson (and first published in the UK in 2002 by Wedenfeld and Nicolson).

Thanks for the great gift, dad. Bet you'd love to read my new book, this "true labour of love".

Check out this video released by McLaren to see Gerald Donaldson and Jo Ramirez discussing Ayrton Senna's finest hour around the winding and narrow streets of Monaco.

Incidentally, It was Donaldson's original interview that provided the inspiration for the fascinating book 'Overdrive': Formula One in the Zone’ by Clyde Brolin - and a decade of searching for more of the same by the other greats of Formula 1 and beyond.

I ‘ve been studying and researching and writing about your intriguing book for the past few months. Thanks so much for sharing the inspiration, Clyde

"fellow F1 fanatic and petrol-head" craig

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“Grand Prix racing is primarily a mental contest.”

and (to elaborate)

“Grand Prix racing is primarily a mental contest… it’s a battle of strength of wills by the combatants and a magnificent contest, the arena to display and share unique gifts and talents. Perhaps in this ‘theatre of speed’, F1 is a metaphor for life itself.”

from my book The Red Helmet

"The driver is expected to explore the inner places of his desire by taking everything to this limit...to translate it into a sublime peak only he can reach; but the trouble is they're all doing it.... on a narrow ribbon of track, together."

- fine writing by Christopher Hilton in his fascinating book ‘Inside the Mind of a Grand Prix Driver’)

“All drivers are united by a passion for what they do. They express it in different ways, as you would expect, because they are fiercely independent and ambitious men drawn from every continent and every background. But the message transcends everything."

‘- more fine writing by Christopher Hilton in his book

"Senna is a genius. I define genius as just the right side of imbalance. He is highly developed to the point where he is almost over the edge. It's a close call."

- the words of Senna's great rival for the British Formula 3 title in his early years, former GP driver and now television commentator, Martin Brundle

"If your brain is strong enough and your concentration is good enough, you do the lap time first in the brain and then in in your car and in your body. This is something the good drivers can do, but only Ayrton Senna made perfect."

- former Sauber driver Karl Wendlinger

* "The Zone could simply be a gateway to the divine, one of God's methods of reminding us of His - and our - glorious power. Omnipresence means that power must be everywhere, everytime. Including the racetracks. Including today."

- powerful writing from Clyde Brolin in his great book 'Overdrive: Formula One in the Zone'

"The untapped potential in every human being is limitless: we are perfectly capable of producing, all by ourselves, true magic."

- Clyde Brolin

Dedicated to My beloved sons, S and G and yes, you too M. I know you can't and don't understand my passion for motor racing, my "crazy" love of Grand Prix racing. Still thanks for brightening each day more than you can (and will) ever know. May you find the “true magic” in your own lives.

dad

to the singing (great) of one of your favourite musicians, Freddy Mercury 'It's a kind of magic'

Shared by "totally unmusical"c

"Information and Inspiration Distributor, Incorrigible Encourager and People-builder"