G
GreaseMonkey
Guest
Oh have I got a new thread for tomorrow, and it's not just a hint for any last minute Xmas pressies you all might want to send.
Chris M.
Chris M.
BenzBoy
Grand Master
And I have recently discovered Jura 'Superstition'. Chin Chin!!
Regards,
Benz-Boy
Regards,
Benz-Boy
Last edited:
OP
GreaseMonkey
Guest
- Thread Starter
- #4
Ok, so this is Mercedes related anyway.
A few coincidences?
Last year, McLaren Mercedes got heavily penalised and fined by the FIA (led by Max Mosley) for their part in a so-called 'spy scandal'.
In all my fifteen years working in Formula One I always took it for granted that although some made a pretence of guarding secrets, there was no real security and everyone knew everyone else and would drink ibn the pub with their mates from other teams.
So, anyway, all those involved on the inside were a bit surprised at the severity of the ruling which ended up costing McLaren Mercedes a figure rumoured to be around US$100 million.
There were accusations that the FIA were somehow in cahoots with Ferrari, and certainly whenever there have been contentious issues to be ruled on it has always been heavy-handed with Mclaren and turn-a-blind-eye with Ferrari.
There is a lot of money in Formula One for sure, but that is not small change for anyone.
Now, one of the teams main sponsors are Johnnie Walker, (another being Vodaphone, an account which McLaren were accused of stealing, or poaching, from Ferrari).
Fast forward to earlier this year when the Max Mosley prostitue/Nazi/orgy scandal broke in the press, and given that there were photos which went straight to the scandalmonger tabloid press, it did all rather look like he was set up.
I immediately thought "well done Ron" when I heard the news, referring to Ron Dennis the boss at Mclaren, but of course there were no official accuations or denials.
You can bet there were some smug grins behind a few closed doors both in Woking and Stuttgart though.
Given the stakes being played for, both in F1 terms and Mosley's career, I would expect we have not yet heard the last of these affairs, although in a way it was some justice that McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton just clinched the title.
An apparently unrelated story;
go back fifty years, and the recently crowned and retired Drivers World Champion Mike Hawthorn was killed in a road accident when his Jaguar left the road in Surrey, not too far from Woking coincidentally.
He was rumoured to have been racing ex-driver and team owner Rob Walker in his Mercedes 300SL at the time, but as there were no other witnesses, no charges were brought.
Rob Walker at that time was doing rather well running cars in Formula One and Sports Car races in his familiar Scottish coulours of dark blue with a white stripe, and including Stirling Moss as one of the drivers.
Rob Walker was one of the old school gents who led a charmed life being the heir to the Johnnie Walker whiskey family, and once made the famous quote,;
"The only way to make a small fortune from motor racing, is to start with a big one".
Even truer today old chap.
Chris Martin
A few coincidences?
Last year, McLaren Mercedes got heavily penalised and fined by the FIA (led by Max Mosley) for their part in a so-called 'spy scandal'.
In all my fifteen years working in Formula One I always took it for granted that although some made a pretence of guarding secrets, there was no real security and everyone knew everyone else and would drink ibn the pub with their mates from other teams.
So, anyway, all those involved on the inside were a bit surprised at the severity of the ruling which ended up costing McLaren Mercedes a figure rumoured to be around US$100 million.
There were accusations that the FIA were somehow in cahoots with Ferrari, and certainly whenever there have been contentious issues to be ruled on it has always been heavy-handed with Mclaren and turn-a-blind-eye with Ferrari.
There is a lot of money in Formula One for sure, but that is not small change for anyone.
Now, one of the teams main sponsors are Johnnie Walker, (another being Vodaphone, an account which McLaren were accused of stealing, or poaching, from Ferrari).
Fast forward to earlier this year when the Max Mosley prostitue/Nazi/orgy scandal broke in the press, and given that there were photos which went straight to the scandalmonger tabloid press, it did all rather look like he was set up.
I immediately thought "well done Ron" when I heard the news, referring to Ron Dennis the boss at Mclaren, but of course there were no official accuations or denials.
You can bet there were some smug grins behind a few closed doors both in Woking and Stuttgart though.
Given the stakes being played for, both in F1 terms and Mosley's career, I would expect we have not yet heard the last of these affairs, although in a way it was some justice that McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton just clinched the title.
An apparently unrelated story;
go back fifty years, and the recently crowned and retired Drivers World Champion Mike Hawthorn was killed in a road accident when his Jaguar left the road in Surrey, not too far from Woking coincidentally.
He was rumoured to have been racing ex-driver and team owner Rob Walker in his Mercedes 300SL at the time, but as there were no other witnesses, no charges were brought.
Rob Walker at that time was doing rather well running cars in Formula One and Sports Car races in his familiar Scottish coulours of dark blue with a white stripe, and including Stirling Moss as one of the drivers.
Rob Walker was one of the old school gents who led a charmed life being the heir to the Johnnie Walker whiskey family, and once made the famous quote,;
"The only way to make a small fortune from motor racing, is to start with a big one".
Even truer today old chap.
Chris Martin
BenzBoy
Grand Master
So from that I gather you want us to give you a Formula 1 tean for Christmas. OMG the piggy bank can't stand that!!
Regards,
Benz-Boy
Regards,
Benz-Boy
OP
GreaseMonkey
Guest
- Thread Starter
- #6
No thanks, it's not fun any more.
Glad I am out of it, just the Johnnie Walker would do.
Ta,
C.M.
Glad I am out of it, just the Johnnie Walker would do.
Ta,
C.M.
BenzBoy
Grand Master
Any time you are in the Big Smoke just call around. There's a few in the cupboard we can sample and argue over.
Regards,
Benz-Boy
Regards,
Benz-Boy
OP
GreaseMonkey
Guest
- Thread Starter
- #8
Any time you are in the Big Smoke just call around. There's a few in the cupboard we can sample and argue over.
Regards,
Benz-Boy
Well I could take you up on that, next time I am in Darlo, or Paddo or wherever you are, and sample the finer singles, the smoky oakies, etc, but I guess only if the Mrs comes along to drive me home.
Chris M.
BenzBoy
Grand Master
Of course!! Either that or we put you on the train with your address tied on your finger?
Regards,
Benz-Boy
Of course!! Either that or we put you on the train with your address tied on your finger?
Regards,
Benz-Boy
hehehehe.... I'd like to see that
OP
GreaseMonkey
Guest
- Thread Starter
- #11
You mean like Paddington Bear gets p*ssed?
Nah,
can't see me being turfed off the train at Dunmore at midnight, totally sh*tfaced looking for a taxi.
Best leave it 'til Mrs G-M is in town eh?
C.M.
Nah,
can't see me being turfed off the train at Dunmore at midnight, totally sh*tfaced looking for a taxi.
Best leave it 'til Mrs G-M is in town eh?
C.M.
OP
GreaseMonkey
Guest
- Thread Starter
- #13
Interesting read about the walker family, and also the 'mishaps' in relation to the relative competition at the time..
As an aside, I don't think I've ever known someone to use their wife as an excuse for so many things..
Can't come racing, the wife says we're busy...
Can't come to a BBQ, the wife booked something else in the diary that day...
Can't come to paddington and get sh!tfaced (while the wife's out of town) cause my wife's out of town and can't pick me up....
Come on man, there's no better time to get sh!tfaced than when the Mrs is away!!!
I love it, I get home drunk, strip down to the jocks.. make some toast, grab a nightcap beer from the fridge and watch some sh!tty early morning TV, enjoying the 1900SMS line ads in between.. one of the fine things of life.. hahaaa...
Johnnie Walker <=Relevance Ratio 100%
OP
GreaseMonkey
Guest
- Thread Starter
- #15
Interesting read about the walker family, and also the 'mishaps' in relation to the relative competition at the time..
As an aside, I don't think I've ever known someone to use their wife as an excuse for so many things..
Can't come racing, the wife says we're busy...
Can't come to a BBQ, the wife booked something else in the diary that day...
Can't come to paddington and get sh!tfaced (while the wife's out of town) cause my wife's out of town and can't pick me up....
Come on man, there's no better time to get sh!tfaced than when the Mrs is away!!!
I love it, I get home drunk, strip down to the jocks.. make some toast, grab a nightcap beer from the fridge and watch some sh!tty early morning TV, enjoying the 1900SMS line ads in between.. one of the fine things of life.. hahaaa...
Johnnie Walker <=Relevance Ratio 100%
Laugh?
You bet!
That last paragraph sounds just like me a long time ago, we were all young once.
As for the Mrs, she didn't stop me coming to Oran, my elbow did, and it seems the tendon damage is worse than first seemed, I am still on 'suitable duties' at work and the weekly physio does not seem to be getting anywhere. Just as well then that the builders have delayed yet again, putting up my new garage until January, as I had planned to be in there getting busy by now, but it is probably better I have a couple of weeks off.
The bbq I would have liked to fit in, but we really do have a busy diary right now and it was short notice, and anyway, where were you?
Couldn't have chartered a plane just to fly back in for the day?
Very slack I reckon.
As for getting sh*tfaced, I doubt that was BenzBoy's intention, (or maybe it was?) but I just meant that if his invitation stands one day when I am in town with a non-drinking driver to get me home, I would take him up on it, maybe even contribute a four litre cask - aka abo's handbag - of $10 plonk.
(Just kidding Brian, I never mix grape and grain.)
Having said all that, I was young and single for many years and did all the wrong things (thanks P. Kelly) but although I first met Karen
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk272/Rev-Head_photos/Other Stuff/Karen.jpg
when she came to London thirty years ago, a series of tragic/comic circumstances (that would make a good sloppy trashy movie script) kept us apart, I finally chased her down in Sydney and did the right thing a few years back and strange as it may seem, given that we both work all week, we are making up for all those lost years and our time together now comes before blokey boozy car things.
As for the Johnnie Walker story, I just thought there was some symmetry in that Rob Walker used his family fortune to run his team from the fifties to 1970
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Walker
and the current McLaren JW partnership.
Or was I just dropping hints for Black Label Chrisse presents?
Oh well, off to the shops now,
Chris M.
OP
GreaseMonkey
Guest
- Thread Starter
- #17
Paul Kelly did all the dumb things Chris, I know because my mates say the song was written for me in my youth
Sorry I was giving credit for the thought, paraphrasing if you like, not quoting.
As I was doing all my dumb things in Europe, and presumably Mr Kelly was here in Aus, I suspect it is more likely about you than me, but maybe it is time for a 'List Your Dumb Things' thread?
Maybe not, could get too messy, and Cam would have to try them all!
C.M.
OP
GreaseMonkey
Guest
- Thread Starter
- #19
An even more trivial link I just remembered, the first ever Formula One race I went to was the British GP at Brands Hatch in July 1968 and it was won by the late Jo Siffert in Rob Walker's Lotus 49.
Small world eh?
C.M.
Small world eh?
C.M.
I wasn't being serious about the last paragraph... actually I was taking the p!ss with the whole post. But since you want to break my post down and pick it apart like a 'politician' or serial debator would..... then here goes:
Some of my best mates are Aboriginal, and none of them or their wives walk around with an "abo's handbag".
Finished.