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Rawle Austin presents...

A conversation with Lisa Chisholm - Driving her way to a Grand Prix Future

Lisa Chisholm is an authority on all things Formula 1 Grand Prix motor racing. I spoke to her to find out more and get the full low down. Rawle Austin: Could you briefly introduce yourself to Growlersworld.com readers? Lisa Chisholm: Hello everyone! I'm a civil servant by day, steady and reliable as she goes but don't let appearances deceive you, for beneath that sensible exterior, beats the heart of a racer,with a bit of a passion for Formula One.

This is my take on all things speedy and aerodynamic up and down the Pit Lane. Don't be put off if you are not an F1 fan.

Have a bit of a read, you have nothing to lose, and there are definitely far worse things that you could be doing over the next 10 mins!

RA: How did you get into Formula 1 (F1)?

LC: I got into F1 as a result of an innate curiosity.

As a child growing up in the 70's and early 80's I used to see my uncle watching Grand Prix and I would catch the odd snippet of races when the likes of Jackie Stewart and James Hunt were racing and remember being quite mesmerised.

However, in the mid to late 80's as a teenager/young woman my focus was - how shall we say - definitely not car orientated!

Then, a few years later, I was sitting at home on a lazy Sunday afternoon, flicking through the few terrestrial channels we had (back in those days we didn't even have Channel 5!) when I came upon F1 again. This time, I wanted to find out for myself why anyone would want to watch cars going round the same circuit lap after lap, for hours on end. My somewhat "accidental return" coincided with the very much talked about arrival of a young driver who was being touted as a future world champion.

This definitely piqued my interest and how right the pundits were because at that time no one could have forseen the impact that Michael Schumacher was going to have on Formula One racing.

Since that lazy Sunday afternoon I haven't looked back.

RA: How would you describe F1 to someone who doesn't know what it's all about?

LC:The simple description of F1 is essentially about 22 cars driving around the same circuit for a prequisite number of laps and who ever does this the best will win.

However, to understand F1 you have to go much deeper.

There are a multitude of different factors that go towards producing a winning drive/driver/team, such as car design, driver ability/mentality, tyres, strategy, speed and reliability amongst other things.

All of these have to be present and operational if there is any chance of a team or driver being successful. Formula One has a good measure of speed, a big dollop of aerodynamic technicality and a soupcon of glamour! Any one who's first passion is speed could do a lot worse than check out F1 and the various spills, thrills and the almost soap like saga that enfolds from week to week! RA: Who is your favourite driver at the moment and why?

LC: I'm split way down the middle on this one. It has to be Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso.

Michael Schumacher because you just can't seem to keep him down! and this despite, or maybe because of, the fact that he is now, at age 37, the oldest F1 driver on the grid.

If Michael has a competative package (and even sometimes when he doesn't!), you know that he is going to be in the hunt.

Even at this late stage of the Championship with a 2 point swing in favour of Alonso, I still think that it would be foolhardy to write off Michael.

Fernando Alonso because, bar a few uncharacteristic glitches in his usually calm and focussed demeanour, he just seems to have a good head on his shoulders.

There have been many a battle this season between himself and Michael each vying to outdo the other but Alonso just seems to suck that pressure up like a sponge. Where others have crumbled before him with wing mirrors full of a Michael Schumacher powered Ferrari, Alonso has not only stood tall but stood victorious. RA: Who is your favourite car constructor at the moment and why?

LC: Ferrari without a doubt. I have followed Ferrari for a number of years now and they never fail to amaze me in terms of their dedication, work ratio and their ability to sometimes make something out of nothing.

1996 saw them perform for the first season with Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine (Rubens Barrichello replacing EI thereafter) at the wheel.

Although, they did not win the Constructors Title that year nor the next, anyone could see that it was only a matter of time.

Their main rivals, McLaren with Mika Hakkinnen and David Coulthard and Jacques Villneuve for Williams were the teams to catch and catch them they did!

The series of consecutive Constructor's titles that followed 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 is a feat that I don't think will be repeated in Formula One for a long time.

For all it's appearance of F1 domination, this statistic still does not go all the way to showing the dogged determinedness and tenacity that was employed to facilitate it. RA: Who would you name in your all time top 5 drivers list and why? LC: Michael Schumacher - I think his record of 7 World Titles speaks for itself! Fernando Alonso - He has the entire package that so many teams look for in a racing driver. Raw talent, mental perception and awareness and the ability to communicate what is required in changeable conditions.

He will be the dominant force (team package allowing) in F1 when Schumi retires.

Mika Hakkinnen - The quietly spoken "Flying Finn". Here was a man who drove with silky smoothness yet with such speed it was almost heartstopping.

Indeed, in 1995 the speed that so easily came to him nearly cost him his life in the Australian Grand Prix at Adelaide.

Despite such a near life ending tradgedy, he came back to the track and was on speed almost immediately and went on to achieve 2 World Titles.

Jackie Stewart - Definitely for his talent as a racing driver culminating in 3 World Championships - but maybe even more than that was his tireless campaigning behind the scenes for the safety of F1 drivers.

Many of the safety protocols present today are in place as a direct result of his efforts. Jenson Button - I think this is a guy who has a superb driving style. Smooth, silky not too aggresive on the throttle, which is why it always begged the question 'when will Jenson win a race?'. I think he has demonstrated a strength of character to keep motivated at race weekends wih all the various setbacks he has had for one reason and another.

It has all paid off now though because from 100 plus starts Jenson finally won that elusive first race in Hungary and I think that he definitely has the ability to be a World Champion of the future.

Of the current drivers, I feel I must mention Kimi Raikkonen and Robert Kubica.

Kimi, given the car that has speed and reliability is definitely a formidable contender.

Robert Kubica, wow!

What a sensation he has been, considering he has only driven in F1 proper for 3 races, he's managed to score a 3rd place podium in that short a time.

Definitely one to watch for the future.

RA: What are the main issues in the sport at the moment? LC: Money and making the sport more ecologically friendly. RA: How would you, personally, resolve those issues? LC: I would limit the budget to the top teams. At least that way the bigger teams such as Ferrari, McLaren and Toyota wouldn't necessarily have the big advantages they have over some of the smaller teams in terms of how much cash they can splash to resolve issues.

(Money isn't the only reason for one team's advantage over another, who supplies your engine is also one of the major contributory factors).

This could go some way, not a particularly long one mind, to closing the gap between the front and the back of the grid.

There has been talk by the FIA to make the sport 'Greener'.

I am all for racing by way of a system that conserves the planet but I do have to wonder if motor racing (especially F1-with the constant specifics in terms of fuel, tyre development etc) will be able to conform to such strictures.

I think this is definitely an issue that will not have a quick and simple solution.

The above said, before any changes can be implemented in F1, the Concorde Agreement dictates that you must have a unanimous vote from all the teams.

That in itself poses all sorts of problems and often times leaves many issues unresolved because no decision could be reached. Maybe the FIA needs to change it's own rules to be able to change the rules! RA: Can Jensen Button win the Drivers Championship? LC: Jenson Button can definitely win the World Championship in the future, however he will need to look to a team other than Honda to help him do so.

I feel I must qualify this by saying, this is Jenson's 7th season in F1 and I'm sure he would have expected more from his time in the sport.

He will not wait for Honda to "get it right" much longer.

So if they want to have Jenson Button, the "World Champion" on their team, they will need to pull their finger out, and sharpish too.

RA: What has been your most memorable experience in all your time watching F1?

LC: There are so many! Well the Austrian Grand Prix 2003 was definitely a scorcher - literally!

First of all Michael Schumacher had a major moment during qualifying - an unforced error led him to take a corner way too deep resulting in a meanouvre more akin to Rally driving!

Despite this mistake he still managed to clinch pole position ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. The race however, was a completely different ball game. Drizzle resulted in a track that was neither dry nor properly wet and the Bridgestone tyres found these conditions difficult to deal with. Schumi began to lose ground to his competitors and indeed a Safety Car was required to clear the track of those who had succumbed.

Still in first place after the SC, Juan Pablo Montoya looked like he was going to hustle Schumi for the lead but to no avail.

He opened out another big gap to his rivals. Time for Pit-Stop one for Ferrari and Reubens went in first.

Disaster, the fuel hose nozzle stuck on his car, no fuel was being dispensed, a quick change to the secondary pump resulted in a 20+ second deficit.

Schumi was in next, a banker lap had to be put in to give the Pit Lane guys time to fix the problem.

Everything looked set, Schumi came in, the nozzle went in ok and relief it was working!

The nozzle was released, Fire, Fire in the Pit Lane, the rear end of the Ferrari had caught alight! Quick thinking and extinguishers deployed the fire was put out. Schumi, as phlegmatic as usual, calmly remained in the cockpit, whilst all was pandemonium around him. Only 5 secs worth of fuel had gone in, this coupled with a 17 second deficit meant that Schumi was seriously compromised. He rejoined the race track in 3rd place, behind Kimi Raikkonen in second and Juan Pablo Montoya in first. With a clear track and low fuel, Schumi showed his grit and pumped in consecutively faster and faster laps but as one pundit said "he was a wounded animal".

It appeared that no matter what Schumi did it wasn't going to be enough to claw his way back up to the front or was it?

Juan Pablo meanwhile looked comfortable out front and was untroubled by Kimi.

Then, Bang! JPM's BMW powered engine let go!

It was all he could do to crawl back to the pits, his race over.

Just as this occurred, and almost unseen by the viewers, Schumi had made up so much time he was right on the rear wing of Kimi, the Ferrari, clearly faster, made short work of the McLaren and in a single lap Schumi went from 3rd back to 1st.

With the further scheduled pit stops all going to plan, Michael won this race when it looked, on paper, impossible for him to do so. Obviously, a little luck helped Schumi in this instance, but had he not made up the deficit to Kimi, he would not have been able to capitalise JPM's blown engine, and that is why this goes down as a memorable racing moment for me because it shows with Michael Schumacher behind the wheel, and even with the odds stacked against him, you should never write him off! RA: What do you think about the new A1 GrandPrix?

LC: In one word - Rubbish! Actually let's make that two words - Absolute Rubbish!

RA: And finally, any last words of wisdom you'd like to share?

LC: Speed isn't everything but I can't think of many better ways to get your heart beating and the blood rushing to your head!

Formula One pictures shown are used courtesy of http://formula1photos.tn38.net/

Learn more at the Official Formula One website

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