One and only Spa!

The Debut, Circa 1991:

Bertrand Gachot did something very stupid. In the heat of the moment, with out thinking about the consequences, he sprayed CS gas (tear gas) in to the eyes of a London cab driver after getting in to an altercation with him. He was later arrested and incarcerated for 2 months.

Eddie Jordan, the team principal of Jordan Grand Prix was in a quandary. He had to quickly find some one to substitute Bertrand for the up coming grandprix at Spa Francorchamps in Belgium. He started making enquiries about this talented lad who impressed the team in a test conducted at Silverstone.When he asked Willi Weber, the manager of the said driver, if he knew Spa well, he responded in affirmative. Now, this was an out right lie. The driver had only been to Spa as a spectator and had never driven there before.

During the race weekend, the said driver learnt the track by cycling on the fold up bicycle that he took along with him. The paddock immediately knew they were witnessing the debut of a great talent when he out-qualified his vastly experienced team mate and put the uncompetitive Jordan 7th on the grid. It's a different matter though that he could not finish even a lap of the actual race as the clutch broke.

Exactly one year later, at the same track, in wet conditions, the said driver registered his first of 91 Formula One victories. And thus started the legend of Michael Schumacher.

The greatest ever?

Eau Rouge is arguably the most famous corner in Formula One. The Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex is where men are separated from boys. After the start, the drivers negotiate the slow hair pin at La Source and are going steep downhill when they suddenly come across a 90 degree left hander and a steep uphill. Infact,the drivers cannot see the corner before they can commit the car. It is here that the great drivers make up lap time as the lesser talented ones lift the throttle for a wee bit.

Nestled in the idyllic forest of Ardennes, with fast corners, steep elevation changes and it's own micro weather- it can rain heavily in one part of the track and the other part can be bone dry- Spa Francorchamps is considered to be one one of the most challenging circuits ever (along with Nordschleife, the old Nurburgring, which is not raced on anymore).

And, who do you think won the maximum number of times at Spa ?

clue: First name starts with M and Last name starts with S :)