It’s Zorce time again! We know you all have been waiting most patiently for this next issue and finally– here it is! We have lots of new features for you to check out like the launch of the new Cayenne. We also drive Fiat’s re-entry into the market with their new Punto and Bravo, VW’s speedy Jetta and the new Nissan Murano. The Motorsport section is packed with and update on Sheldon Bissessar’s Drag Racing successes and we also meet the Cadets of Karting! Rally Trinidad is also in this issue, just in time to remind you that RT’11 is around the corner in March. This issue is a little larger that our previous ones and as Zorce continues to grow, we hope your passion for all things automotive and motorsport can follow with us.
Recently, we had the pleasure of meeting a two-time Formula 1 Champion, Mika Häkkinen and gained some insight into what motivates him. A few issues back, we featured Barbados’ and Jamaica’s live exposure to Formula1 demonstrations on their city streets and Trinidad’s seminar with an F1 team mechanic. Mika Häkkinen visited Trinidad & Tobago recently to spread the word about Johnny Walker’s “Join the Pact” campaign against drinking and driving and so we were first introduced to Mika as their latest advocate.
At the launch, Häkkinen was joined by Minister of Sport, Anil Roberts who welcomed Mika, endorsed the campaign and gave a brief update
on the current position on a home for motorsport, that could possibly support FIA-sanctioned Formula3 races. They also remarked that alcohol consumption typically is meant for celebration. The real enemy is irresponsible consumption and by extension drinking and driving where people’s lives are put at risk. Sir Viv Richards and Sir Richard Branson are also among the advocates who have publicly given their support to “Join the Pact” against drinking and driving.
After the formalities, we patiently waited as all the TV cameras had their fill, then finally got a chance to chat with the man himself. There was no way we were going to leave Aura without talking to the only man to ever shake up Michael Schumacher on the F1 circuit! Our initial questions in the open floor seemed to have struck a chord with Mika as he seemed more relaxed and eager to converse. Regarding his
accident at Adelaide, Australia in 1995 where he was critically injured and required a trackside tracheotomy to survive, Mika stuck
to his goal of winning the F1 Championship (which he did twice, years later), but it did make him think a lot about safety. While he had the
benefit of trackside assistance, it is unfortunate that many road car drivers do not have such immediate facilities when they drink and drive.
In terms of things he does for fun, however, Mika cited racing and F1 as his greatest passions. He was definitely living his dream. Mika
is also a family man. He and his wife have two kids and one more on the way. Mika believes that racing drivers are made and not necessar-
ily born but they do need to possess certain qualities. Parents should take the time to observe their children and provide the opportunities to
harness their talents, as was the case when he was growing up. For him, racing was not just about jumping in a car and driving but about
teamwork, competition, discipline and managing emotions since the sport can be filled with disappointment. The step to DTM (touring car
racing) he said was not one in which he achieved his goal of winning the championship but that he enjoyed the experience tremendously. He
has now moved away from driving and is into logistics, team advising and being an advocate for positive initiatives.
After our chat, the entire party was relocated via shuttle to a Solodex-style course at the Queen’s Park Savannah where Brian Lara graciously allowed Mika to take a few rounds in his Mercedes SL55AMG Kompressor. Of course, Minister Anil Roberts and Brian Lara were taken for their
drives along with a few other special guests who all emerged amazed with his full-course drift-style driving. During the course of the day call cards were being collected and placed in a fish bowl. Now, as the cards were swirled around and one was selected we could only see the back of it as it emerged. In a moment, time stood still as the card was flipped around to reveal the bright yellow bit of zorceness… “Where’s Narend?” someone shouted, as fair and square, the best seat in the house had been won, from a fish bowl!
As I stepped in, Mika remarked– “finally, they sent the right person for this drive…” Up close and personal, Mika seemed to be in total control, easily managing conversation while fluidly setting up the car for each corner. It was poetry in motion to see him use the car’s inertia to overcome understeer and get the rear-end sliding, even better then to see him manage oversteer with the throttle while smoothly feeding in the opposite lock, never hurried or rushed except for one particular instance. Bear in mind of course, that the tires were now properly thrashed, although from the outside one would not know the difference. With all the tire squealing Mika never left the ideal racing line. His driving style was changing though, adapting in real-time to the changes in the car’s behaviour due to the tire wear. I did not feel sick or upset as some expected, a testament to Mika’s well-honed smoothness. After we were done with our laps Mika drifted the car (with another guest)
just as easily right up to the point of the rear right tire blowing out and being stripped of its canvas. Of course Mika calmly kept the car under control and returned to the starting point.
It was simply phenomenal to see Mika’s superior driving ability. And without an additional word, the point was made. You may think that you
can drive, you may think that you can drift a car or even be a competitive racer. But there are other realities at work on the road. There is no
trackside assistance. The road car is a far cry from a Formula1 or DTM car. In fact, some of us may not even own a well-maintained road car and according to our Minister of Sport, Anil Roberts, “if you know you are driving a welded-up B13 with a fast engine, cool yourself!” They both make the same point (nothing against B13s either)– the road is risky as is, we are not superhuman drivers, our cars are only designed with so much crash safety and therefore putting irresponsible consumption into the mix is a bad idea. Be safe and always designate a driver, take a taxi or stay put–but don’t drink and drive. That being said, it’s two down on the proverbial bucket list– meeting a Champion F1 driver and all-out driving with one in a road car. We are glad that we could share this experience with you– the World is officially a smaller place!
