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SPORTS MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2014 Surtees anniversary draws hope from F1 loss BIRMINGHAM: John Surtees has an infectious laugh but he has no need to shout about his achievements: ered immediate and eye-opening results. If motorcy- “Some of the press got very much in mind that I was and the broadest of grins but there is also sadness in They speak for themselves. cling was his first love, part of him will always belong stealing Innes’s drive,” he recalled. “I was perhaps a lit- his eyes as he prepares for a year of events marking Between 1956 and 1960, he won seven motorcycling to Maranello and Ferrari - then as now the most glam- tle too sensitive and walked away. I should perhaps the 50th anniversary of his Formula One champi- championships (three in 350cc and the others in the orous team on the grid. have had a more focused attitude and thought... onship win. top 500cc category). In the 1960 season, he raced in “We had a variety of life which the present Formula ‘frankly, let them get lost. I’ll just look after number The former Ferrari driver’s past triumphs are grands prix on both two wheels and four and was also One driver doesn’t have, but we didn’t have the num- one’.” entwined with personal tragedy as motorsport fetes Isle of Man TT winner. ber of races they have,” he said, comparing the eras. “It Clark would go on to win the championship in 1963 Britain’s oldest surviving F1 champion and the only In recent years, Italian MotoGP great Valentino Rossi has been turned into a major commercial operation. and 1965 while Surtees beat Graham Hill by a single man to have won world titles on two wheels and four. tested a Ferrari F1 car but never made the switch and “I still would enjoy the challenge of sitting in a mod- point in 1964 thanks to a scoring system that counted Surtees, who turns 80 next month after competing the chances of anyone ever again emulating Surtees ern day car, but I’d obviously need to knock a few only the best six results. through some of the most dangerous years of grand would appear remote. He disagrees, however. “I don’t years off. Take about 50 years away again,” laughed Of his six career Formula One wins, four were with prix racing, is using the attention to help promote a think it’s impossible by any means,” he said. “I still look the man who went on to design, build and race his Ferrari and the others for Cooper and Honda. In all, foundation set up after the death of his 18-year-old upon it as quite a natural thing because certainly own cars as a constructor. Surtees won 290 of the 621 races he entered on bikes son Henry in a freak racing accident at Brands Hatch when I sat in the car for the first time I was immediate- The biggest problem Surtees had in Formula One, and in cars with another 103 podium finishes. In 1966, in 2009. ly able to go quick. As quick as anyone else had driven having grown up in the world of motorcycles with he came back from a big sportscar accident in Canada The foundation, whose motto is ‘finding hope in loss’, those cars. father Jack, who was a national champion, was deal- the previous year to lead the championship only to raises funds for accident care and community support “Today the way one can ride a modern bike, with the ing with paddock politics and rivals who resented his then walk away from Ferrari mid-season after a falling and to help youngsters develop life skills through tyres and some of the controls which are available, the sudden arrival in car racing. out. motorsport-related programmes. aids you have got... probably bike and car have come If he has any regrets looking back, it is that he was “Mr Ferrari agreed with me at the end, just before he “In a way I suppose I’m only involved in celebrating even closer in the relationship. perhaps too sensitive and too impetuous. Had he died actually, that we’d both made a bit of a mistake 50 years because of the fact that I’m using it also as a “So if someone achieves their goals in motorcycling been more ruthless or more patient, he might have in that we’d lost probably championships together vehicle to assist in developing the foundation,” at a certain time and says ‘Hmm, perhaps I will try new won more titles. with the parting that we did in 1966. That again was a Surtees told Reuters in an interview at the Autosport challenges’ it may happen. But obviously not if they “Perhaps on two occasions,” he mused. “There was bit impetuous,” he smiled. International show, where several of the cars and are over the hill. When I changed I probably still had the Lotus situation where Colin Chapman at the end “I was so frustrated at not doing things that we could bikes he raced with are displayed. 10 years left in me which could have been at the top of 1960 placed all his faith in me and said ‘John, I want achieve at Ferrari because of political reasons and “Normally, I think I’d rather just drift around in the of motorcycling.” you to be number one. Choose your team mate.’.” people pulling in a different direction. background.” The Briton, always known for forthright In Surtees’ day, what mattered was what was shown Surtees indicated compatriot Jim Clark, for some the “But I suppose it was all put right when Enzo said to opinions on motorsport and an equally direct glare, is on the stopwatch. He was given the opportunity to greatest driver of all time, but that meant Innes me ‘John, we must remember the good times and not hardly the shrinking violet or one to put his feet up drive cars because of his speed on bikes and he deliv- Ireland would be dropped. the mistakes’.” — Reuters Gagnon wins World Cup super-combined event AUSTRIA: Marie-Michele Gagnon ended a 30-year drought for Canadian women in World Cup combined events by earning her maiden victory yesterday. Gagnon was 1.37 seconds off the lead in 16th after the super-G portion but went ahead of the field after posting the second fastest time in the slalom run. “It’s really exciting, a magical moment,” said Gagnon, who wasn’t even born when Gerry Sorensen won a combined event in Puy St. Vincent, France, on Jan. 8, 1984 for the last triumph by a Canadian woman. “My teammate Erin Mielzynski won two years ago in Ofterschwang. She was the first Canadian woman to win in slalom in like 40 ADELBODEN: Austria’s Marcel Hirscher speeds down the course to clock the third fastest time dur- years,” Gagnon said. “That was unbelievable ing the first run of an alpine ski men’s World Cup slalom. — AP and I didn’t expect our team to make history again.” Gagnon finished in an overall 2 minutes, Hirscher wins slalom 5.55 seconds to beat second-place Michaela Kirchgasser of Austria by 0.32. Maria Hoefl- Riesch of Germany trailed Gagnon by 0.39 in AUSTRIA: Canada’s Marie-Michele Gagnon speeds down the course on her way to to take overall lead third. win a women’s alpine ski World Cup super-combined event. — AP Nicole Hosp of Austria, who led the com- petition after the super-G, finished fourth. ADELBODEN: Marcel Hirscher mastered a classic of Sweden, who placed fourth Sunday after being “It’s amazing. I was quite surprised,” said Swiss slope yet again yesterday, winning a World Cup fastest in the morning. Gagnon, whose only previous podium came slalom to seize the lead in the overall and discipline With his fourth win this season, the 24-year-old in a slalom in Are, Sweden, in 2012. “I didn’t standings. Hirscher, the Austrian two-time defending Hirscher has 22 career World Cup victories including expect that after the first run. I knew I had to Davis, White grab overall champion, sliced through the gates on a 12 in slalom. Kristoffersen, a 19-year-old junior world do a really good slalom run to be on the thrilling run down the steep final slope to beat Andre champion in two events, got his second career podi- podium. I just tried to do my best and it Myhrer of Sweden by 0.29 seconds. “It’s maybe a stu- um finish one day after almost colliding with a televi- looks like the pieces of the puzzle have US ice dance title pid decision,” Hirscher said about his risk-taking. “If you sion production worker who strayed on the course come together.” The super-combined format give a lot, you can win a lot.” Teenager Henrik during Saturday’s giant slalom won by Neureuther. “I Kristoffersen of Norway was third, trailing 0.66 behind skied over the back of his skis. I was definitely touch- was introduced at the start of the 2005-06 BOSTON: A record sixth straight US ice dance announced Sunday, with the top three in Hirscher’s combined two-run time of 1 minute, 49.75 ing him a little bit there. (It) happens. We’re only season to replace the classic combined title. A personal best at the national champi- dance and top two in pairs expected - but seconds.