When The Show Went On: Formula One In The Wake of Terrorism

After a long absence, the Slipstream is back on line. This week, as the title of the article suggests, there will be a look at Formula One during moments where the world stepped back and watched the tragic events of the last few years on the same screens that we all view a Grand Prix on. 

The aftermath of the 9/11 attacks left a world wondering what had gone wrong.  The United States and a majority of the Western hemisphere was in a state of panic.  Fear that the worst was yet to come from this terrible evil that anybody in listening distance to a radio or television bore witness too.

The drivers of the Champ Car series were over in Germany, preparing for a major race on Europe's largest oval course, and F1 was back in Monza, ready to continue the McLaren/Ferrari struggle yet again.

Michael and Ferrari, Mika and McLaren had been battling it out for most of the year and with the calendar winding down and with Mika announcing his retirement, the stakes were very high.

After the attacks, questions arose around FOM and FIA officials, and drivers, if there should be a race.  Champ Car had taken the first step in the post 9/11 racing world, and named their race in Germany the American Freedom 500.  That unto itself was an act of kindness and gratitude that I as a race fan greatly appreciated. 

On the closing laps of that race, Alex Zanardi nearly lost his life during a horrific accident that resulted in his legs being severed due to scheer trauma of another car slicing his in half.  Champ Car fans, and race fans already numb with shock over the attacks sat and waited, hoping for good news. 

That Friday in Italy, the twin prancing horses of Ferrari rumbled out of the paddock without the tens of millions of dollars in livery, but with just a black nose.  This black nose represented not just the respect of the Italian company to what had happened, but it came to represent the sullen situation the world had found itself in. 

But yet, the cars still rolled onto the track.  The F2001 still claimed second spot on the grid, and it the field raced on. For just a few hours, Formula One, along with NASCAR who was holding a race as well, gave race fans a brief escape from the new world that had come to pass that Tuesday morning. 

The race in Monza showed to the world that it was OK to be upset, it was OK to mourn, but it is still OK to cheer and jeer our drivers who went out there not for themselves, but for the fans and the sponsors.  It is known that Michael Schumacher wanted the race cancelled at one point, I am glad it wasn't and I am sure a few million other F1 fans share my view. 

The United States GP was called into doubt a few weeks later.  With security restrictions imposed to unprecedented levels, the cars had to be flown over and examined under levels of scrutiny seldom seen outside of the F1 paddock. Ways had to be developed that allowed the F1 cars and kit to be examined at the airport or else they would not be allowed into the country. 

Thankfully, the cars made their way on to the grid a few days later.   Eddie Jordan, in respect to the American audience, ran "God Bless America" on the side panels just behind the vortex generators on both of his cars.  After years of not seeing Jordan's point of view I stopped my criticism of him and his operation that day.

It is also worth mentioning that Ferrari ran with its black nose in respect to the death of Pope John Paul II, and that the Jordan team ran a black nose in respect to the victims of the 2005 terrorist attacks in London.