F1 - HISTORY • Graham Duxbury @ therealdux
Graham Duxbury is a former professional racing driver , celebrated SA champion and acclaimed motorsport administrator and commentator . A South African Hall of Fame Inductee , he made history in 1984 by winning the famous Daytona 24-hour sports car race in the USA in an all-South African team . Today , he heads Duxbury Networking , a leading IT company
&
F1 DRIVERS F1 RACING DRIVERS
Is there a difference ? According to Peter Windsor , former Williams Formula One team manager , there is . He says the distinction between a F1 driver and a F1 racing driver lies primarily in the realm of mental toughness rather than driving skills - as impressive as they might be . he achieved goals that back up this belief .
In similar vein , Senna is quoted as saying that when drivers are under pressure in a championship or in a race , the best results go to the one who can employ aggression to good effect . He proved this on countless occasions .
“ Fernando is faster than you ,” implying he should let Fernando Alonso pass .
Massa obeyed and Alonso went on to win . This instance of team orders was also widely criticised fuelling discussions about the ethics of such strategies .
He says some F1 drivers may possess the fundamental skills to deal with the high-speed , high-stakes environment of F1 , but they lack the extreme mental resilience and relentless drive that distinguishes the good from the truly great .
The relationship between Prost and Senna is well documented as are the ways in which Senna was able to influence his mechanics and engineers and even engine supplier Honda to prioritise him over teammate Prost .
Also sparking debate was the result of the 2013 Malaysian GP where Sebastian Vettel ignored a Red Bull team order known as “ Multi-21 ” which instructed him to hold position behind teammate Mark Webber .
Windsor highlights Lando Norris ’ move to let McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri past at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix - responding to team orders - as an example of a driver who needs to “ toughen up ”.
In support of this opinion , legendary team owner , Eddie Jordan has encouraged Lando “ to learn how to be hard , tough and victorious ”
Significantly , in the build-up to the ‘ 24 Brazilian GP , Lando confessed that he has “ sometimes lost out ” due to his lack of aggression .
Emphasising the qualities of a racing driver , Windsor stresses that Nigel Mansell would never move over for Nelson Piquet , nor would Ayrton Senna move over for Alain Prost .
The intra-team rivalry between Mansell and Piquet was renowned for its bitterness . There was little love lost between them when they were teammates at Williams .
Nobuhiko Kawamoto , president of Honda Motor Company between 1990 and 1998 acknowledged that Honda ’ s technicians would favour Senna . “ They are an after-thewar generation ,” he said at the time . “ They like Senna because he is comparable to a Samurai .”
Of course , when team orders are given that tend to overthrow the natural order of things , the results tend to invite controversy no matter on which side of the fence you sit .
Team orders often highlight the differences between team strategy and individual ambition . Which is more important ? Which should be celebrated ?
For example , at the 2018 Russian GP , the Mercedes team asked Valtteri Bottas to let Lewis Hamilton pass . Bottas , like a compliant team member , gave Hamilton the win and a sizable lead in the championship standings .
Instead , Vettel , in an aggressive move , overtook Webber and went on to win , leading to significant tension between the drivers .
And at the 2014 Hungarian GP , when Hamilton refused to let teammate Nico Rosberg pass his obstinance highlighted the intense rivalry between the two drivers and also Lewis ’ “ grit ” as a determined , aggressive F1 racing driver .
Nigel ’ s epic pursuit of Nelson to win the 1987 British GP illustrates the British driver ’ s belief in his abilities .
“ I was being told to slow down ,” says Mansell , who famously won the race following a dramatic pass on Silverstone ’ s Hangar Straight with two laps to go . “ But the pit board wasn ’ t very visible as I went past - because I wasn ’ t looking at it .”
This decision may well have been crucial for the team ’ s strategic goals , though Valtteri ’ s willingness to sacrifice a race win sparked controversy among fans .
In the 2010 German GP , Felipe Massa was leading when he received the infamous message from Ferrari ’ s Rob Smedley ,
According to acclaimed F1 journalist Mark Hughes , Mansell has always believed that he is a giant . And right from the start of his racing career
Lando Norris encouraged to “ learn how to be hard , tough and victorious ”
aBr WORDS IN ACTION 24 JANUARY • FEBRUARY • MARCH 2025